


Retrouvailles

by AmareScribere



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Aguri has to deal with overgrown children, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Tension, Depression, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Forgive Me, Friendship, Gen, Irina Knows What's Up, It Gets Better, Karasuma Just Wants to Finish the Mission, Kinda, Korosensei is somewhat of an asshole, M/M, Nagisa aka Naho is just trying his best okay, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shiota Nagisa is a Homosexual, Tags May Change, Teacher Shiota Nagisa, The kids are smart but they aren't smart, Trauma, some shit goes down
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:35:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 58,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22034155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmareScribere/pseuds/AmareScribere
Summary: Nagisa somehow traveled back in time, a year before Koro-Sensei became his teacher. After unspeakable events took place in his original timeline, Nagisa can say he's happy about seeing his friends alive and well, after a very long time. But with that happiness comes the pain of not being able to connect with them as he did before.A loophole he's found, however, was becoming a teacher at his old junior high. After changing his look and overall personality, Shiota Nagisa now goes by Yamada Naho.
Relationships: (Future) Shiota Nagisa & Friends, (Future) Shiota Nagisa & Shiota Nagisa, (Future) Shiota Nagisa & Yukimura Aguri, Akabane Karma & Shiota Nagisa, Asano Gakuhou & (Future) Shiota Nagisa, Asano Gakushuu & (Future) Shiota Nagisa, Kayano Kaede & Shiota Nagisa, Korosensei/Yukimura Aguri
Comments: 224
Kudos: 795





	1. Once Upon a Time

**Author's Note:**

> There are no romantic relationships that involve Nagisa, or Naho, whichever you prefer, so don't freak out with the tags. Or at least none that are eww in my book. My intentions are for purely friendly relationships. Again, if the romance isn't eww according to my tastes. Obviously excluding the friendly from Aguri x Korosensei, because come on! They need this. They deserve this.
> 
> (The “Naho x whatever person” may change... I’ve been tempted)

The moon exploded into a crescent last night. Nagisa knew it wouldn't be long before the Assassination Classroom would open to its first chapter, and begin its wild adventures. It was only a matter of time. This is why he finds himself applying to be a teacher at Kunugigaoka Junior High, to join in on those adventures when the time is right, and perhaps change what shouldn't have occurred in his timeline.

Nagisa smiled kindly at one Asano Gakuho, who returned that smile with a handshake. He will do his best to join 3-E, not as a student, but as a teacher. He suppressed a grin. He couldn't wait.

"Give the students the education they deserve. I will stop by to check up on you, so do stay on your toes," The Principal squeezed his hand slightly as if it were a warning.  
Nagisa squeezed back, causing the Principal's brow to twitch. "I will do my best, Principal. Thank you for having me."

This was only the beginning of his journey, as a former assassin and a present teacher in a timeline in which events never came to be. How he got there and why he'll never know. When he'll return if ever, it is not up to him. Nagisa can only live in the present and hope.... hope that this time... the story gets the ending it deserves.

* * *

It hurt to see them again. What hurt more was pretending to have never met them. "Good morning!" greeted Nagisa, doing his absolute best to keep a smile plastered onto his face. His ruby eyes scanned the class, only noticing a few of those excruciatingly familiar faces. His smile tightened. "Yamada Naho, that's my name. I don't mind you using my first or last name, just know Naho is less of a mouthful."

The majority eyed him with impatience, and honestly, Nagisa wanted to sigh. This was going to be a long year. "So!" His bubbly voice echoed throughout the silent class. "Let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

"Naho-Sensei, your teaching is rather slow, huh." Isogai approached him one lonely afternoon when the students were dismissed just moments ago. Nagisa lifted his eyes from the papers he stayed behind to grade, forcing himself not to flinch at the voice of his old friend.

"I think it's a reasonable speed, and it gives your classmates the time to breathe." Nagisa tucked a navy lock of hair behind his ear. "Do you think I'm delaying your studies?"

Isogai entered his field of vision, a guilty smile forming on his face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude." He chuckled softly. "It's just... compared to the other teachers..."

This time, Nagisa chuckled, a little louder than Isogai. "I'm doing it on purpose, don't worry. The reason behind that, if I taught at a faster speed, you'll be too focused on taking notes than on the actual material. What learning will you do then?"

Isogai's eyes widened and he seemed to have lost the ability to speak. Nagisa flashed him a smile before returning to his papers. The faster he got them over with, the faster his students will receive feedback. He kept an ear out as he worked. At some point, Isogai left, and Nagisa could finally drop the forced smile.

* * *

Hara approached him when class was over. If she stayed too long, she would be tardy for her next class period. Her eyes held no shine, and it hurt him to see the mother figure of the future E Class look so down.

"Ne, Yamada-Sensei..." her voice was small and her hand clenched around the strap of her bag. Nagisa narrowed his eyes in worry. "What's your opinion on fat people?"  
Those words seemed to have struck a chord because Nagisa had to force himself not to demand who could possibly be picking on her. He sighed through his nose, keeping his anger in check. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have noticed.

"My opinion?" Despite speaking gently, the girl clenched her hand further. "My honest opinion?"

The girl nodded dejectedly.

Nagisa forced out a laugh, making it sound lively and happy. Hara flinched and looked up, eyes wide in surprise.

"They're the coolest," he chose to say. "Though, I wouldn't call them fat, Hara-chan."

Hara's lip wobbled, her eyes glimmering just the slightest. "What would you call them, sir?"

Yamada Naho grinned. "Warriors. I would call them warriors."

That day, Hara cried, and all Nagisa could do was listen and offer advice. He willingly took the blame for her tardiness.

* * *

Funnily enough, the next familiar face to stay back to speak with him was himself; his counterpart. Naho found the situation hilarious, because never in his life did he imagine himself talking to himself.

"Is there something I can help you with, Shiota-kun?" He watched as Nagisa, his counterpart, turned from a pale white to a cherry red. It was so strange seeing him blush so easily, was that how Naho was in his own timeline? 

"You were talking about types of abuse the other day, Naho-Sensei... Why?" Nagisa's azure orbs stared into Naho's fake red, brimming with curiosity and wonder.

You, Naho wanted to say. Instead, he said, "I didn't have a childhood filled with butterflies and rainbows, I wanted to share with the class that abuse exists. Not just physical... but emotional as well--" Nagisa flinched "--and that it's not okay to either cause it or suffer from it."

Nagisa avoided his eyes. "How would one go about seeking help?"

Naho cupped his hands together, resting them on his desk. "You ask for it, because, Shiota-kun, people can't help you if they don't know you need help."

Nagisa's eyes darkened and his complexion lost its rosy color, returning to its usual pale. "What do you mean, sir?"

"Exactly what I said," Naho retorted, "because I didn't ask for help, I lost the happiness of childhood." That seemed to have impacted the boy. Naho's eyes softened. "I want to help those who are going through what I went through, and give them a chance to enjoy their life."

Nagisa stares without blinking; lost in his own thoughts, and Naho waited. Then, he spoke again, "And if you can't ask for help..." Little Nagisa furrowed his eyebrows... "There are people out there who will listen to your troubles, and help you even if you didn't ask for it." 

He waited for a response that never came. He waited for a confession that never came. Nagisa thanked him and left.

Naho sighed. Trying to get his counterpart to open up was going to be a bigger problem than he thought. He underestimated his twelve-year-old self.

* * *

Naho ran into Terasaka. 

As expected, Naho was treated like shit.

He was not particularly upset about it, knowing that Terasaka was going through a phase around this time, according to Naho's timeline's Terasaka. It did worry him that the following year he'll have so much bottled up he'll snap.

Naho called Terasaka to his crappy office provided by his boss (Thanks a lot, Gakuho!), despite the student not being his student. He still felt he had to do something. So there they were, staring at each other in heavy silence, one smiling as if without a care in the world (Naho) and the other glaring poison daggers (Terasaka).

"So," Nagisa chirped, clasping his hands together and crinkling his eyes as he smiled. Terasaka glowered. "We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. I'm Yamada Naho, male teacher, age approximately mid-twenties, and not the ''spastic bitch'' I was claimed to be."

Terasaka's complexion looked rather paler.

Nevertheless, Naho continued on. "Of course, If I gave you that impression, please do accept my humblest apology. I am aware my... appearance is very misleading."

The student popped a vein, irked.

Naho grinned. "Anyway," his voice didn't lose its bubbliness, "I noticed you aren't very good at managing your anger..." He then pulled out a knitting kit, seemingly out of nowhere.

Terasaka twitched. "Why the hell do you have a knitting kit?!"

The teacher shrugged. "I like knitting."

"The hell with this!"

And this is how Yamada Naho, also known as Shiota Nagisa of another timeline, got Terasaka to invest himself in knitting, even if he found out later on...

* * *

Naho was beginning to believe the gods were purposely sending his former classmates his way. The moment he started his teaching job in Kunugigaoka, it's been future 3-E left and right. At first, he wanted to avoid them, at least until the Assassination Classroom became an actual thing.

Though, today's familiar face was none other than Akabane Karma. Naho wanted to say this was purely accidental, but he also wanted to tease the idea of gods having it out for him. It happened minutes after Naho was finished reporting to the Principle of his teaching progress.

Naho was minding his own business when BAM! all of his papers were flying in the air while he was sprawled on the floor, the world spinning before his very eyes. Naho could only wonder why these situations happened to him and only him. 

After he regained a sense of the world, he accepted the hand that was suddenly in his field of vision and was promptly put on his feet.

"Sorry, Naho-Sensei, gotta run!" said Akabane, now running down the hallway and out of the teacher's line of sight, but he could hear his laughter bouncing off the walls. Then, three more students zoomed past him, nearly making him lose his balance.

It was the shortest meeting. Sure, Naho's seen him in class, but he's never actually spoken to him. But that was mostly because he didn't need to. Akabane Karma already knew what he was teaching anyway, although it frustrated him to no end when he would skip out on his classes.

Either way, the scene before him had him shaking his head. Always the troublemaker, huh. Then, Naho took in the mess of scattered papers all around him and sighed exaggeratedly.  
It wasn't the only meeting.

Naho saw him again, hours later, out of school, in one of the shops in town. Naho was in desperate need of a coffee, and this was the only place he enjoyed drinking coffee. Akabane just walked in when Naho mellowed in delight upon receiving his order and invited himself to Naho's table.

"About earlier..."

"Did you win?" Naho interrupted before Akabane could speak further, and promptly caught the boy by surprise. Naho's navy-blue locks fell over his ruby eyes as he gently blew on his drink, waiting for Akabane to answer.

"Win what?" His voice sounded so curious, so very confused, and Naho could only chuckle at Akabane's confusion. 

"You were chased by three other students. I'm assuming you all got into a fight. Did you win?"

Akabane blinked owlishly before nodding slowly.

Naho also nodded. "That's good. Also, unless you want me to snitch, you won't skip class tomorrow." 

The redhead furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you blackmailing me?"

The teacher hummed, sipping from his coffee. "It's for educational purposes."

"Educational purposes my ass."

* * *

There was a teacher meeting, and Naho got to see Yukimura Aguri alive and well. He had vague memories of her, and all he truly knows about her is that she is Kayano's sister. The time of her death is nearing, if his calculations are correct... but...

"Uwaa~ our teaching styles are so similar!" Yukimura had exclaimed upon discussing their teaching methods. "I'm so glad. Kids deserve to learn at a steady pace. Thank you for being a good teacher!"

...but now Naho wasn't sure if he should let her die... or change what happens.

Naho smiled, his cheeks tinting a pretty pink. "You flatter me."

* * *

Over the course of this one year, he was able to meet with his former classmates. Not all of them, unfortunately, seeing as three of them are introduced in E Class later on. But he can say with confidence that since they already became familiar with one another, he is more comfortable holding conversations with them than he was a year ago.

It still hurt knowing he's stuck in another timeline without any way of knowing how to get back, but it's more manageable. Also, it's not like he enjoys the idea of going back to a timeline where everything bad came to be. The only reason he'd go back... is for his friends. That's it.

Currently, Naho is walking up the familiar mountain. The school year ended not that long ago, and Naho needed to speak to Miss Yukimura, urgently. He's thought about her unfair demise and wants to do something about it, not just because she is Kayano's sister, but because he never got to know the first teacher that actually tried to see him. And she never got the opportunity to see them grow... nor see what Koro-Sensei has accomplished.

Naho intended to change that.

Upon reaching his destination, Naho let himself in the Old Campus. He knocked on the door and heard a faint "Come in!"

When he came in, he sweatdropped.

Yukimura had a large book on one hand and a ruler in the other as if she was going to launch them at the door any second. But, when she got a good look at who entered the classroom, she sighed and slumped with relief.

"I thought you were a serial killer!" she said, lowering her weapons. "I was so scared for a second there." She laughed.

Naho imitated her, but his laugh was more forced. He almost got murdered by a book and a ruler... "Don't worry, no serial killer here." He closed the door behind him and sat on one of the desks' surface. "How was your first year of teaching?"

Yukimura sat on her desk, a frown tugging at her lips. "Terrible," she said, crossing her arms under her breasts. "I failed those kids..." Naho's eyes softened "...But! The following year I won't fail them, you'll see! The next batch is going to graduate with flying colors, I'll make sure of it."

Her words made his heart hurt. 'We did graduate with flying colors...' "I believe you, Yukimura-san, best of luck to you." He meant those words, he really did, but he was delaying the topic he really needed to talk about. But how was he supposed to start? How can he tell her that she was going to die soon? How... just how...?

"Is something bothering you, Naho-san?" 

Naho flinched. Yukimura furrowed her brows. The man swallowed and inhaled deeply. "Yukimura-san, there's something urgent I need to speak to you about. It's not about school, nor myself. This is about you. All I ask of you is that you allow me to speak."

The woman eyed him strangely but nodded anyway.

Naho released a shaky breath, his fingers digging into the desk he sat on. "The lab you're working at..." Yukimura's shoulders twitched "...is going to be the last place you see before you die a little into the new school year."

Naho refused to look at her in the eye, but he could see that she wasn't making a move to either attack him or run away, he took this as a cue to continue. "The Grim Reaper is going to escape after you warn him of the attempt on his life by your fiance. The lab explodes. There's a moment where you run up to Grim Reaper, to tell him to run, but you get impaled and lose your life."

The story was blurry in his mind, it's been years since he'd last heard it. Naho bit his lip, avoiding the quiet teacher before him. "I..." he began, "I'm warning you, Yukimura-san—"

"I would have called you crazy if you hadn't mentioned Grim Reaper."

Naho's heart skipped a beat and he looked up at her. There was a smile on her face. It didn't reach her eyes.

"I know I promised to let you speak, but I... do not want to hear anymore."

At this, Naho snapped, now off the desk. "You're going to die! I don't want you to die! You have no idea what happens after you're no longer a part of this world! Please!" Naho was now shouting nonsense. He lost his composure. "Kayano's going to make bad choices, and Koro-Sensei is going to be so sad! Your death affected them all in a way that left them broken!"

He didn't notice it at first, but he was crying. "You can prevent this all from happening, Yukimura-san!" Naho continued to babble, but his own words were not understandable. It frustrated him that his words were complete nonsense, but how else can he express his inner conflicts. His tears irritated his eyes, the contacts to be more specific. It was at this moment that Naho just lost the care he had for his identity and removed the stupid contacts.

Behind those fake ruby eyes were his natural sapphire ones. This caught Yukimura's attention. In less than a second, his face was squished between her hands.

"You're eyes were fake?!"

That's what she's concerned about?! Was... was she not taking him seriously? Her death was nearing and she was concerned about the color of his eyes?!

"Hold on... why do you look so familiar?"

Then, his face was released.

Naho only stared as she rummaged through her bag. He stared in disbelief. Then, she pulled out a folder and skimmed through it. "No way..." she said. She then proceeded to stare at his face, then at her folder, then at his face, and her folder... "Hey, um... do you have a little brother?"

The man wiped away his tears with the sleeve of his suit, shaking his head to answer her question. He was just so done. He tried to warn her, but she wasn't taking him seriously. Naho put his eye contacts in his pocket.

"Shiota...-san?"

Naho flinched.

"You're Shiota Nagisa, aren't you."

Naho just avoided her gaze. How did she figure it out? Was it because he took out his contacts? That's literally all it took for someone to figure it out?

Then, once again, his face was cradled in her hands... her skin cold against his warm face. He was forced to meet her eyes. "But you're not from here." He didn't deny it. He didn't deny it because deep down he just wanted someone to know. It's been so lonely, this past year. With no one to talk to or confide in.

The tears just kept on coming. Yukimura pulled him into her embrace. That's when the sobs tore through his throat. This woman may have not been familiar to him in his timeline, but she is now, and all he could say was that he was relieved that she figured it out. He can't wait to know her more.

"Shh, It's okay. I'm sorry for upsetting you. I won't ignore your warning, I promise."

Naho— no, Nagisa cried harder. He cried harder than he did once upon a time.


	2. Tomorrow

"...and I finally became a teacher at a school not that far from here." Naho sighed into his cup of tea, relishing in the sweet scent before taking a small sip. They had moved from the classroom to Home Ec. and just stayed there for a few hours. Yukimura had talked his ear off about time travel theories and possibilities, and Naho returned the favor by talking about his timeline.

He didn't tell her about the life-or-death situations... she didn't need to know that.

The woman eyed him with something akin to astonishment. "That was one hell of a story."

Naho raised a brow. "I didn't think you were the type to curse..."

Yukimura bristled. "I'm a grown woman, thank you very much!"

Naho laughed quietly to himself. After placing the cup down on the table, he settled for staring out the window, reminiscing in the many events that took place— or will take place— on this mountain.

"I want to save you, you know," Naho spoke suddenly, not taking his eyes away from the scenery outside. "I'm sure Kayano will be very happy knowing that you're safe, alive and well..."

"You keep mentioning this Kayano person..."

The man paused, now looking at Yukimura with a quirked eyebrow. And then his mouth formed an O as he realized. "Kayano is the name I call your sister, Akari." Yukimura tensed. He forgot to mention that fact, huh... "Sorry, I forgot. But, um, yeah... Kayano was a good friend of mine in my timeline..."

Yukimura's form slumped.

Naho sighed and crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair. "As I said before, your death... impacted her negatively. She... made bad choices that affected her even in adulthood. It's...one of the reasons why I want to save you."

"What... kind of choices?"

"Hm?"

Yukimura gulped loudly. "What kind of choices did she make?"

Naho stared at her, a blank expression on his face. "She..." he hesitated. Scratching the back of his head, he sighed deeply. "She sought revenge on Koro-Sensei, you know him as Grim Reaper. Kayano tried to kill him—" Yukimura placed a hand over her mouth "—and she damn well nearly succeeded... especially with those tentacles..." he whispered the last part, but Yukimura still heard him.

"She did what?!"

Suddenly, Yukimura raised her seemingly empty cup and pointed at him threateningly. Naho screeched.

"I REFUSE TO DIE. I WILL NOT ALLOW AKARI TO MEDDLE WITH TENTACLES!!!"

"OKAY, OKAY, BUT DON'T KILL ME!!!"

* * *

Naho stared into his eyes through the bathroom mirror, a new pair of contacts hid his blue eyes. Yukimura was waiting for him outside so she could lock up the building, so he put the contacts on as quickly as he could... but now he found himself staring at his reflection. He really didn't look like himself... with his hair dyed and the contacts... it was a simple disguise, but it really changed his appearance.

He remembered staring at his counterpart, recalling his own past experiences regarding his appearance, how he hated it and wanted nothing to do with it. He recalled wishing he was somebody else... since he was disgusted with the very skin he walked in. Naho grew out of it eventually, but even now... he hated to admit it, but he kind of liked his new appearance.

With a shake of his head, Naho exited the building, smiling at Yukimura and giving her the okay sign to lock up.

Now they walked down the mountain, both in complete silence sans the snapping sticks and crunching leaves beneath their feet. They only began to speak when they reached the base of the mountain.

"Hey, this might sound like a complete intrusion of privacy..." Naho watched as birds flew above him, not paying any attention to Yukimura's reactions. "But how does your fiancé treat you?"

"..."

Naho broke into a sweat. "I'm...I'm only asking... b - because..."

"You're worried?"

Naho twitched, suddenly feeling embarrassed. He laughed and scratched his cheek with his pointer finger. "I remember the story. Your story. Back then... you were just a character who I didn't get the chance to know. But now that I know you and know what happens in the story..."

"You want to give me a happy ending."

Naho turned to Yukimura. The wind blew in his face, but he didn't falter. "More like... I want to give you a happy beginning." The confused expression that formed on her face had him chuckling. "Once I'm finished altering your fate, there'll be a new chapter in the Assassination Classroom."

The glimmer of hope in her eyes forced him to make a promise. He promised right then to save her, even if he ended up dying in the process. He isn't needed in this timeline anyway.

* * *

The new school year began. It was only the second day, and Naho was already escaping the main campus to join Yukimura for lunch. In his defense, Yukimura made really good food and happened to make extra...

He volunteered to eat that extra.

When he slid the doors of 3-E open, he was met with a class full of depressed students. But, when one of them looked up, their eyes brightened slightly. "Yamada-Sensei?" It was Hara.

He didn't respond to her, instead, he gave a low whistle. "It sure is depressing in here." His comment, which was meant to lighten up the mood, only caused even more gloom to spread around the classroom.

He mentally slapped himself.

Quickly, he added, "Do any of you mind if I open some windows? I'm sure that'll lighten things up..." He didn't wait for a response, and instead went and opened all of the windows instead of 'some.'

Once he was done, a tense silence spread. Naho was sweating buckets. It's been such a long time since he's dealt with students like them. It's not that he's rusty, but he just doesn't...know how to get to them right now. He remembered his own mindset around this time... nothing could get through to him, except Koro-Sensei and assassination.

Though, seeing them like this... He looked over at his counterpart... seeing him like this... It felt wrong. It felt oh, so wrong.

"How are you?" He found himself asking before he could stop himself. His question bounced off the rotting walls, and after a few moments of tense silence, Terasaka spoke.

"Don't force yourself to act nice, Sensei."

Then, Mimura hummed in agreement. "Yeah, we know how you feel about E Class."

"Don't waste your breath." Nakamura sighed and rested her cheek on her palm.

His eyes softened at their cold words. He looked over at the teacher's desk, and upon seeing that Yukimura wasn't there, he walked up to the chalkboard, picked up chalk, and pressed it against the board.

"What are you doing?" Maehara spoke up, but his question remained unanswered.

Naho wrote "How Much Can I Teach Before Yukimura-Sensei Arrives" on the board. This earned him a few confused noises from the students.

* * *

Aguri rushed to the class with her Bentos. She had forgotten them in her car and she would have simply skipped lunch, but she remembered Naho wanted to have lunch with her and she couldn't find it in herself to skip. She ran up and down the mountain, and she was winded. But she couldn't leave students unsupervised for too long.

She didn't even give herself a chance to breathe when she reached the top, running to her class and sliding the door open. She was ready to apologize but...

"—and that's why water is not wet, but rather the cause of it."

Naho was there.

Aguri heaved but didn't really say anything. The only thing she did was scream in terror when her students erupted into chaos.

"THAT'S BIAS TALKING!" They all shouted in perfect sync.

Naho, Aguri noticed, merely smiled.

* * *

"You seem oddly interested in the E Class as of late, Yamada-san," the Principle said casually as his violet eyes pierced Naho's very soul.

Naho's breath caught. This man... With a closed-eyed smile, Naho said, "I didn't think that was a problem?" He didn't mean to make it sound like a question, but even as an adult, he couldn't help but feel nervous around him. Just where did his confidence from a year ago run off to...?

The Principle merely chuckled. "And not just the E Class... but Miss Yukimura."

... "Eh?"

The happy-go-lucky expression on his face didn't falter. He joined his hands together. "I do hope you recall the unspoken rule, Yamada-san, about relationships between colleagues."

Now Naho was burning. His face burned hotter than a kiln, and he was sure it was the color of his eyes... Naho cleared his throat, a fist against his lips as he did so, and avoided eye contact. "I... can see why you would think that... Asano-san—" was he allowed to address the man as such? He had no clue, "—however..."

The Principle raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying that I'm wrong?"

His tone sent chills up his spine.

But he didn't give in. "I'm implying that you misunderstand—"

"What don't I understand, Yamada-san?"

Naho inhaled shakily, the color of his face never fading. With the lowest volume, Naho confessed, "I'm... I'm a homosexual, s - sir."

"..."

"...."

"..."

"...."

"It seems we are done here."

"I - Indeed."

* * *

Yukimura held her breath, and Naho watched as her face slowly turned red.

"That isn't helping!" he cried into his pillow, wailing from the embarrassment that has yet to go away. Naho refused to lift his head, only squishing it when Yukimura made a choking sound and promptly burst into hysterics.

Her voice sounded loud, practically echoing within Naho's quiet walls.

"Tell me what his face looked like again!"

"Stop laughing and take this seriously! I could be fired!"

Yukimura scoffed. "Puh-lease. You and I both know Principle Asano values education more than he values sexual preferences."

Naho groaned pathetically, "That doesn't make it any less embarrassing..."

A sigh. "I can't believe he hadn't noticed, though. I mean, it was pretty obvious when I first met you."

"Yeah, thanks a lot. I'm gonna go die in a hole now."

A hand buried itself into Naho's hair and the man tensed. He noted that Yukimura's hand also tensed, and he forced himself to relax. She's a friend. Friend. Not... not her. Naho allowed himself to simply enjoy the feeling of Yukimura's fingers grazing his scalp.

The woman giggled. "You're such a puppy," she cooed, much to his embarrassment. Hasn't he had enough for today? He huffed, the action going unnoticed by Yukimura— fortunately.

After a few more strokes to his head, Naho lifted his head from the pillow and eyed the woman with wavering azure eyes, having remembered something. "Your fiancé — I'm so sorry, I forgot! I... I...!"

Yukimura silenced him with a finger to his lips. "It's okay. I'll just tell him I had to stay late to grade papers. I didn't have to show up at the lab tonight anyway..." she trailed off into a tangent, her eyes seemingly filled with innocence staring into an endless void.

"Yukimura-san?" Naho called to her, his voice laced with worry. And his concern only grew when she didn't respond. "Yukimura-san?" he called again.

This time, she responded.

Not with words, not with touch.

She responded with a smile.

He wanted to ask if she was okay, but she spoke before he even had the chance to.

"If you don't mind, can you call me by my first name in private?"

An odd request, but then again, Yu— Aguri was an oddball. "Sure... I guess. I've always liked being called by my first name so it's only fair I do the same."

They spent the rest of the evening chatting about nonsense, and eventually, they began speaking of E Class.

"What do you think?" Aguri mumbled sleepily, and when Naho checked, he noticed it was past midnight.

Naho, who was already snuggling under his blankets and pillows, mumbled back, "They'll flourish if they have a goal set in stone. I know them..."

Naho's head turned to mush, and eventually, he let himself be taken by sleep, but before that... "I know my classmates..."

Aguri merely stared at the man beside her, her lips curling into a sad smile. "Yeah, I know you do."

She snuggled beside him and followed his example; she fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, at Kunugigaoka's Old Campus, Naho stared at the bruise slowly forming just under Aguri's left eye. His entire being burned with anger— he would dare lay a hand on her— but also with guilt because it's his fault, it's his fault, she got hurt because of him—

Naho tried—damn it, he tried to stay composed, but the fear in her eyes had him wishing the man who did this was right here so he could teach him a much-needed lesson.

"N - Naho..."

At the shaky call of his name, Naho's body stiffened, and without thinking, he rushed to embrace his friend.

Aguri's sniffles and sobs could be heard everywhere in the early morning silence. She only stopped when Naho spoke with determination swimming in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Aguri, this will all stop. That man's fingers will be chopped off if he so much as thinks of hurting you again."

Aguri made a sound between a sob and a laugh. "Don't get in trouble because of me."

Naho smiled at her. "No promises."

* * *

Naho waited for the Principle to speak his mind. He waited for what felt like an hour but was actually just a minute. The room was absolutely suffocating but not as suffocating as the anger that had settled comfortably into his core.

"You want to teach E Class?"

Naho wanted to laugh at the sheer incredulity in his boss' voice, but he held himself back. Now wasn't the time for jokes. Naho stared right into the Principal's eyes, with a face that read Did I Stutter? And he knew that under any other circumstances, Naho would be shitting his pants, because he knew very well that this man wasn't one to be underestimated.

"Why?"

The question left Naho baffled. Did Asano Gakuho just ask him why? Normally, he would insinuate and imply things that'll make people doubt their decisions. But he asked why. A one-word question.

Naho thought that, for a second, he could see genuine curiosity in those violet eyes, but it was gone the moment he blinked. Naho's eyebrows quirked up, and he answered with just two words.

"Why not?"

Answering a question with a question left no room for explanations. Naho didn't want to tell him that, 'oh, you know, Aguri is going to die in just two days and if I get more involved with her more I can prevent it'. Pretty sure that's not going to sell. Either way, even if he was told no, he could simply quit and sneak into the mountain... And if money's the problem, he could find another job. Living off a teacher's salary is a pain anyway.

Still, though... teaching is his passion...

But if it means saving a life...

"Why not?" Naho repeated firmly and without any form of doubt. "I've always been one to follow my instincts. Whether it is out and about, at home, or even my workplace. I always follow them. And right now, my instincts are leading me to E Class. My goal, right now, is in E Class, and I feel it's my job to head straight towards that goal." 

"Your job is to teach here."

"My job is where the students need me."

The Principal's gaze darkened with malice, Naho kept his composure. After all, he's been through worse. "Give me one reason why I should send one of my perfectly capable educators where he isn't needed."

Was that a compliment? Naho blinked. His mouth opened slightly, but he snapped it shut and cleared his throat. 

"Asano-san," Naho began, relaxing the muscles of his face. The Principal didn't drop his glare, but that didn't faze him. "Look at me." At the quirked brow, Naho continued. "I mean really look at me. You said I'm a capable educator, right? Would you underestimate my abilities to teach?"

The Principal answered stiffly, "No. I've seen your teaching methods. They are not ideal, but they are... effective."

Then, Naho's gaze softened. "I used to be like them."

"..."

"I was them." Naho sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "Everyone deserves a fighting chance, don't you think?"

"You're going against me?"

The teacher grinned. "I never said that." But he did imply it, didn't he? He chuckled, feeling more at ease with the baffled Principal than other times. His boss didn't know it, but he was making the funniest expression...

"Very well." Principal Asano grinned back, successfully catching Naho off guard. "I see very well what you're doing and I'm not one to turn down a challenge... Congratulations, Yamada-san, you are now a teacher of E Class. Do your best."

The Principal outstretched his hand. Naho stared at it for two seconds before joining his hand with his into a handshake. "No need for formalities, sir, call me Naho."

The only response he received was an eerie smile.

* * *

"Hey, sis, who is this?" came a whisper.

"He's my best friend and colleague," came another whisper.

Naho chuckled awkwardly at the scene before him. Aguri squished beside her sister, Kayano...er, Akari. Both whispering very loudly right in front of him about him. They thought they were being discreet, but Naho could hear every word they said.

"He's staring. Can he hear us?"

"No way. He would've said something."

The man's smile twitched, and he bit his tongue to keep himself from laughing. To distract himself, he drank from the sweet iced tea that was just placed down before him. He thanked the waiter with a nod.

The two sisters chatted amongst themselves. He didn't mind being left out. Aguri did mention that she hadn't seen her sister in a while, so he gave her the opportunity to catch up. He did feel bad about being there, though, and restricting their topic of conversation. No doubt they'd like to talk about more private things.

He noticed the big smile on Aguri's face as she whispered something into Akari's ear, and a smile of his own formed on his face. It was nice seeing her smile, especially after what happened yesterday. His fake, ruby eyes darted to the concealed skin under Aguri's eye, the bruise hidden underneath makeup.

Tomorrow was the day Yukimura Aguri died in his timeline. But in this one, tomorrow's the day Yukimura Aguri gets to live. He promised, and he would keep that promise. His eyes then landed on the girl who became Kayano Kaede later on. If he saved her sister, then he would have saved Kayano as well.


	3. To Be Weak

Aguri knocked over the science equipment once again. With a quiet curse, she bent down to pick up the mess, however, when she placed the science equipment back onto the desk, she knocked over a student's water bottle.

"I'm so sorry, Okano-chan!" Aguri, once again, bent down to pick up her mess.

Okano, who eyed the teacher with sympathy, waved her off. "Don't worry about it... At least it was closed."

Aguri apologized again and distanced herself from any desks. She was about to explain the instructions but paused when she saw a student's arm in the air. She signaled him to speak.

"Are you okay, Sensei?" It was Shiota. His question made the rest of the class perk up. Aguri merely stared at the boy, who's azure eyes darted to the side, noting how similar to Naho he is. Well, they were the same person, technically, so she could see why. But she meant in personality. Naho always worried about her and was always asking if she was alright.

Naho never grew out of his heart of gold, huh.

With a smile, she said, "Yeah, thank you for asking."

Shiota nodded, unconvinced. Like Naho. But... just how there are similarities, there are differences. Like how Shiota-kun refused to meet her eyes when they talked... or when it came to talking in general, how his voice would be steady. Too steady.

While keeping her jitters in check, she gave out the instructions and excused herself from the classroom. Aguri knew why she was being more of a klutz than usual, she just hoped the students weren't too annoyed with her.

Today was the day she died, Naho told her.

And she was scared.

How can she act like everything's fine when it's not?

"Aguri-san?"

Naho? Aguri turned to face him. She took slow steps toward her friend and fellow teacher, trying her hardest to keep her emotions in check. He said she was going to be just fine, and that he was going to help her and Grim Reaper. Naho promised. So everything should be fine. She shouldn't be so worried and scared over nothing—

"You're going to be okay."

Her mind went blank for a moment. Just for a moment. She trusted him, she really did, but she couldn't help but doubt him right then. After all, when have things ever turned out right with her?

"How can you be so sure?" Her lip wobbled. "What if things go south? What if you can't prevent my... my death?" her voice lowered seeing as she was still near the class.

She didn't see what expression Naho made, and frankly, she didn't want to know. What if she didn't like what she saw?

"I'm going with you."

"What?" Going with her? Aguri furrowed her eyebrows.

"To the lab. I'm going with you to the lab. You're gonna have to sneak me in though..."

Aguri could only look at him as if he was stupid.

* * *

"Alright, that's it for today! Don't forget to complete the assignment. I'll give you five minutes tomorrow if you're not finished with it at home. Don't take that as an excuse to slack off though!" Naho dismissed the class for the day, smiling as the students picked up their things and began exiting the class.

But once the last of the students made their way out, Naho's happy-go-lucky facade slipped off his face. He stared down at his watch on his wrist, heard as it ticked and ticked as seconds passed by.

Today was absolutely nerve-wracking. He tried not to let it show, and judging from the lack of concern from the people around him, he pulled it off quite nicely. His heart had been pounding way too hard and way too fast the majority of the day, and he knew why. 

Today's the day. 

His eyes narrowed. He cannot fail.

Naho allowed himself to look away from the watch when the doors slid open, and in came Aguri, face pale, hair disheveled, and smiling. Naho frowned at the sight of that smile but held back his comment. Now was not the time to lecture her on fake smiles... this was her way of coping after all. 

"Ready?" she asked him.

Naho pulled out his bag and nodded at her. "Let's go."

The walk down the mountain and to Aguri's car was silent. When they got in the car, however...

"I have a plan." Naho put on his seatbelt, his eyes never meeting hers. "I know you're scared, but I need you to focus." His voice was serious, but his expression was soft and kind. 

"When you enter the lab, the first thing you're going to do is head straight to Koro... er, Grim Reaper? (whichever you prefer) and you're going to tell him this..."

Aguri listened closely, her eyes narrowed in focus. But Naho could see her tremble a little from the corner of his eye.

His heart stung with guilt, but this was necessary if she was going to live to see another day. 

"Is that alright with you?" he asked, now meeting her wavering gaze.

Aguri nodded stiffly. Then Naho narrowed his eyes at her, and like lightning, he pressed a finger just underneath Aguri's chin, the pressure point, and soothed away her nerves. She blinked, confused, but Naho merely winked at her.

"Wish me luck then..." she mumbled, starting the car.

Naho huffed out a laugh. "You don't need it. I know you can do it."

"Thank you."

* * *

Sneaking into the lab was out of the question.

There was too much security.

Naho waited anxiously outside the laboratory. Aguri went inside half an hour ago. He didn't know the inside as well as she did, so he didn't know if it took half an hour to get in and out... but he still worried. His heart hammered, and it almost hurt. He focused on his breathing from his hiding spot in the trees, counting with each breath in and out.

He didn't enjoy waiting when someone he cares about is in danger. He wished he could have come up with some grand plan... if to allow Aguri to avoid putting herself in danger, but he didn't think of saving her when he started working at Kunugigaoka.

He thought her death was necessary.

And the very memory of that thought had him vomiting at three in the goddamn morning. He was disgusted at the thought - at himself. That wasn't who he is, and that certainly wasn't who his Koro-Sensei wanted him to be.

He's ashamed of himself.

He just hopes that after today, things will change for the better. Because despite his outer calm demeanor, he still thinks like any other human being on the planet. He worries like every other human being on the planet.

The lab alarms began to blare, and Naho's heart seemed to stop. Clenching his teeth, he kept himself hidden behind the thick tree, forcing his feet to stay planted in the ground.  
The first explosion was heard. And Naho only prayed. He prayed to those who cared to listen. "Please, let Aguri live."

* * *

Time moved slowly, but when the explosions finally stopped... and when the screams of the scientists ceased, Naho removed himself from his hiding spot and sprinted towards the now-destroyed lab.

He barely remembers what happened in the story told by Koro-Sensei, but Aguri supposedly dies a little after the explosions. When she tries to convince Koro-Sensei to... to... before she's... damn it! He doesn't remember!

He runs. Legs aching from lack of training. He runs in search of his first E Class sensei. His only friend in this timeline. 

Then, Naho stepped on something, a trigger, and was barely able to dodge the spear that was shot in his direction. That's when he stilled.

...Traps?

And then he remembered.

Naho screamed from the top of his lungs, " ** _AGURI!_** " 

He needed to find her fast. Because her end was near, and he needed to warn her. To save her. If he didn't make it in time, he will never forgive himself. He has to save her. He just has to. So he picked up his pace, running through the rubble and being extra careful not to trigger any other traps.

Something slithered from the corner of his eye and he abruptly stopped. His breath caught in his throat.

A few feet away, on a mountain of rubble was Aguri. She looked like she was pleading. Pleading to... to Koro- no... to Grim Reaper. He could hardly make out their conversation. He would have sighed in relief that he finally found her... but that's not why he stopped in the first place.

He stopped because Aguri's foot was on a trigger. Once she lifts her foot... it's over. He couldn't warn her. If he so much as catches her attention, she'll move and she'll die. He has to hurry.

Naho's heart hammered violently in his chest, and cold sweat dripped down his skin.

Without even thinking, Naho runs forward. He isn't noticed until the last second. Grim Reaper rears a tentacle back as if to strike him, but he was a second too late. Naho shoved Aguri away, dragging a scream out of her as she falls down the mountain. Thankfully, Grim Reaper catches her before she could hurt herself with the rubble.

Naho sighed in relief. "Are you oka-" his sentence was interrupted by the sound of metal penetrating skin. 

There was a gasp, followed by a cry. Not from Naho, but from Aguri. Because Naho was impaled before her very eyes. "Nagisa!" his birth name sounded nice coming from her, he almost grinned. 

But he was paralyzed. Unable to move despite clear wishes to do so. He doesn't know how he ended up on the ground with Aguri screaming by his side. One thing was clear though: he couldn't avoid the trap.

His eyes were closed, and his ears were ringing. Pain shot through his body without mercy, but he didn't cry. Not a sound came from him.

"Nagisa, stay with me! Open your eyes, please!"

He obeyed, at least being able to do that much. His vision was blurry, but he could make out two figures. Aguri and Grim Reaper. And, huh, Koro-Sensei didn't look all that bad with a human face. He almost regrets making fun of him back in the day. And Aguri... she was sobbing into her phone, probably begging for help.

But Naho doubted help would make it in time. Aguri died in his timeline, after all.

"Reaper, hold his hand! Tell him to squeeze!"

A tentacle wrapped itself around Naho's hand, and when a smooth voice told him to squeeze, he did. He squeezed and squeezed until he became too tired to continue. He almost blacked out, but a sharp pain to his cheek forced him to stay conscious for a few extra seconds.

Aguri growled, "You are not dying on me, you hear?! You are not dying!"

But Naho only smiled, that being the last thing he could do with his facial muscles. "I saved you," he whispered, relief in every word, before letting his eyes close. Not even Koro-Sensei's orders and Aguri's shrieking could keep him awake.

Naho doesn't recall what happened afterward, only the faint call of his name.

* * *

He wondered. Ever since he arrived in this world. He wondered if he'll ever go back to his world. If he'll ever see his friends. His family. It seems the answer is no. He'll never go back. He'll never see them again.

* * *

When he thought about it, changing historical events in this other timeline was probably a good thing. He gave the people he cared about the opportunity to know Aguri.

He gave Kayano her sister's life.

So that made dying feel a little better.

* * *

Aguri panicked. Naho was dying right in front of her and the damn paramedics weren't here. She put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding but it was too much. There's a lot of blood. She swallowed down the strong urge to vomit as blood caked her hands, arms, and coat.

"We're losing him. The paramedics aren't going to make it in time." Reaper informed, his voice calm, collected, and seemingly uncaring. 

His words only made Aguri panic even further. She's losing him. noNoNO! Naho can't die. He just can't! But then she saw exactly how much blood he was losing, and how dead Naho looked already- pressure pooled up at the back of her eyes.

"He - he can't -" Aguri didn't realize she was hyperventilating, "He promised!" she choked up, earning a strange look from Reaper. Aguri looked only at Reaper, so the sight of Naho didn't distract her from saving his life. "He promised!" she repeated, tears falling down her face.

He promised everything would be okay.

When Reaper said nothing, she closed her eyes and applied more pressure. Choked whimpers escaped her dry lips, and her limbs shook against her will. But she wasn't going to give up.

Because it's unfair. It's unfair that she is living and **_Naho is dying because of her._**

* * *

Grim Reaper wondered what this man (Nagisa?) meant to Aguri. His first thought upon seeing him was, "Kill him like the rest." But when he pushed Aguri, and she fell, his first instinct was to save her from getting hurt.

It's funny because he never thought of saving anyone before. He wanted to deny to himself that he had used his new powers to save, so he was going to kill the man. Blame it on irritation.

But then he suddenly got impaled on the side, and Grim Reaper understood, briefly, why he pushed Aguri.

The man used zero powers to save Aguri, only sheer will. He did it knowing he would die in the process. The man's actions stirred something in him, and it made him remember that one year he spent in captivity, with only Aguri to distract him from the burning pain of the tentacles.

Now the man is dying. He looks pale, tired, and weak. Weak, before and after getting impaled. But if being weak allowed him to save a life... then it couldn't be that bad, right?

So when the tentacles asked him what he wished for,

He said, "To be weak."

Now it was his turn to save a life.

"Aguri, give me directions to the nearest hospital."

* * *

Grim Reaper used his powers to save.

* * *

When Naho opened his eyes, he thought he was in the afterlife. But... then he thought: why would the afterlife have hospital rooms?

The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only thing he could hear. He was alone, laying on a bed, tubes connected to his arm, and an oxygen mask on his face.

The door to the room was closed, so he couldn't tell if someone was about to walk in or not. Which meant he had no way of knowing what happened that got him here. Naho attempted to shift his position, but an uncomfortable ache in the left lower quadrant of his abdomen forced him to still with a hiss.

That's when he recalled being impaled by a spear.

"Fuck."

And he laid back down, careful not to irritate his wound any further. He'll just have to wait until someone enters.

* * *

Naho didn't mean to, but he had fallen asleep waiting for a doctor or nurse. When he came to, his eyes were heavy with exhaustion, vision blurry and somewhat dull. He blinked away tears as he yawned, but cringed when he found himself unable to stretch. The wound...

A gasp had him turning his head, eyes meeting with someone. A nurse, it seemed. Her violet eyes were wide as they stared into Naho's tired ones. One, two, three seconds passed...

"He's awake!" she hollered, which caused Naho to flinch because her voice was so shrill and sharp, and so much like mo--

"It's John Doe! He's awake!"

Naho sulked. John Doe? That's what they were calling him? Did they not do DNA tests? Or perhaps his DNA is not the same as his counterpart's? That... certainly makes things easier...

The next thing he knew, a Doctor, who appeared out of thin air, it seemed, was putting his hands all over him. Checking his pulse, his lungs, and basically everything that doesn't actually need checking.

"If you could take a look at my wound..." he mumbled, voice scratchy and dry from dehydration. The doctor stopped examining his eyes, which reminded him... where were his contacts? (He's glad to be labeled as John Doe now) and simply nodded.

It felt like hours had passed when the Doctor was finally satisfied with his condition. He was asked questions like, what's his name, age, and birthday. He, of course, answered mostly untruthfully. Except for his age. He did not lie about that.

"There aren't any birth records with the name Yamada Naho, sir..."

"My mom gave birth to me in a pool, not a hospital."

The Doctor eyed him skeptically. "There aren't any student records anywhere."

"I was homeschooled. Been out of the system my whole life."

The Doctor visibly twitched but kept a smile on his face. "You mentioned something about teaching?"

"Yes, I'm a teacher at Kunugigaoka Junior High."

The Doctor, the poor, poor Doctor, broke. "How do you become a teacher without having any records?! Especially a prestigious school such as Kunugigaoka?!"

Naho simply stared at him. "I'm good at teaching."

"That shouldn't be possible!"

"Not everything is impossible."

"Are you really who you say you are?!"

"Call my employer, he'll tell you."

And the Doctor fucking calls Asano Gakuho. And Asano Fucking Gakuho appears at his hospital room with the most dead expression on his fucking face.

The Doctor greets him, looking relieved, kinda, to finally have some answers. "Is he," Doctor points at Naho, "Really working under you? Is he who he says he is?"

Asano nods, "Unfortunately," he muttered, and Naho was more shocked than offended, honestly, because this _holy man_ -

"I suspected red wasn't your true color," said Asano, keeping his eyes on Naho. 

Naho holds his gaze. He had the gall to look sheepish, too. It seems he can't hide his eyes anymore... 

The Doctor's head turned from Asano to Naho and from Naho to Asano.

Asano merely narrowed his eyes. It was slight. Innocent. But Naho felt his life drift away. Asano slowly turned to the Doctor and placed the fakest smile on his face. That man is irritated. "I'll cover his medical expenses." And he turned to Naho once again. "I do hope you get better, Naho." First name and no honorific. That's either really good... or really bad. "Please see me in my office once you've healed up."

And Asano Gakuho left.

The doctor spoke, "I think you're going to lose your job."

Naho agreed. "It was fun while it lasted... I suppose."

* * *

Naho was left alone when examinations were finally over. And the solitude gave him much to think about. The fact that his DNA was in no way linked to the Shiota Nagisa of this world was, to put it bluntly, a fucking relief. 

That was one of his fears when he accepted the fact that he traveled back in time. After all, how could he explain why he, a twenty-six-year-old man, had the exact same DNA as a fourteen-year-old boy? 

The fact that he didn't exist in any system aside from the newly-made one in Kunugigaoka helped.

But it also made things difficult. Coming up with these lies just so people could stay off his back... it was more tedious than he thought. No doubt the doctors were speaking of his already-suspicious self behind his back. He needed to come up with something, and fast.

Especially now that Asano no-doubt suspects him of something. If the narrowed eyes from earlier weren't obvious enough...

Naho shook his head, ridding himself of the upcoming terror. He'll worry about his complicated life later. Right now, he needs to focus on healing. Give or take three weeks. Approximately three weeks for his injury to heal, judging by the size of it. And that's just on the surface. It'll take much longer for him to heal up internally.

He scrunched up his nose at the thought.

With a sigh, Naho lowered himself until his head hit the pillow, and stared at the plain, white ceiling with his undisguised eyes. The sheets that covered his body were cold against his skin, so was the air around him. Now that it was silent, he went back to only hearing the steady beep of the heart monitor.

Now that he was alone, Naho allowed himself to close his eyes simply to think. He thought of the one person he wanted to see when he woke up... but didn't. Where's Aguri? Naho furrowed his eyebrows. Is she safe? Is she alive?

He didn't ask the doctors or nurses, and really, he should have. He just got distracted. Which is no excuse, either! Naho sighed, slowly opening his eyes.

How did he even get here in the first place? Ambulance? That seemed logical. But at the same time... not.

Why was he allowed to survive? Aguri didn't in his timeline, so why him? What's so special about him? What difference does his life make?

What happened? _What in the hell happened?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far the chapters have been pre-written, which is why it didn't take long to publish them. From now on, though, it's going to take a while. Apologies in advance!


	4. The World is Changing

Isogai, once again, walked into an empty classroom. This was the third day Yukimura-Sensei and Yamada-Sensei weren’t present. He ground his teeth and inhaled deeply through his nose. Did they finally give up on them? It took longer than he initially expected, but that’s what made it worse. 

He frowned, dropping off his bag on his seat. They looked like they were really trying, too. Was it all just an act? Did they just want to bring their hopes up before crushing them without warning? Isogai’s lips formed a thin line as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

Isogai wanted the answer to his questions to be “Yes.” That way it would be easier to just go on with his day… but… he knew better. He knows Yamada-Sensei well enough to know he wouldn’t simply abandon his students. So far Class E has been treated kindly by that man.

And… Yukimura-Sensei too. She’s been nice, and honest. Isogai can tell when someone is not genuine, and so far his teachers were everything but dishonest.

So… where were his teachers? What happened to them?

* * *

It was lunch time in E Class, and like every other day, it was mostly silent among the students. Isogai kept glancing at the door every few minutes as he partook in a hushed conversation with Maehara. 

Terasaka rummaged through his bag, or at least that’s what it looked like to everyone else. He was actually practicing his knitting. That shitty pipsqueak of a teacher hadn’t come to class for days, and nothing else could take away his… negative feelings.

Sugaya doodled in his notebook as he munched on his candy bar, trying not to feel the awkwardness of having Shiota watch his every move. He should probably teach him to sketch… if he likes Sugaya’s work this much.

Hara stuffed her face with onigiri, if only to calm her anxiety. Self-study could only work to a certain point… but without a teacher, she had no chance at graduating. Just where are Yukimura-Sensei and Naho-Sensei?

There was a tense atmosphere that enveloped the room. Conversation was difficult to have when each person there had their own thing to worry about. But they all shared one thought: where the hell are their teachers?

It was in the middle of what was supposed to be the 6th period when the doors of their classroom violently slid open, creating a loud noise that had the majority of the class yelping. All heads turned toward the door, and one by one, all eyes widened.

He heaved as he gripped onto the wall for dear life. His injury, only just healing, throbbed and ached and stung. Rushing up the mountain was definitely a bad idea. But then again, so was sneaking out of the hospital. But Aguri has yet to show her face… and he’s worried. His fake, ruby eyes scanned the room, meeting with every face except for Aguri’s.

“Naho-Sensei!” Hara was the first to bold from her seat to the teacher’s side. Her face showed concern as she helped Naho stand straight. The position irritated his injury, and he winced, but he allowed her to help.

The next person to rush to his side was Isogai. “Yamada-Sensei, are you okay?”

Naho stared owlishly at his face before nodding mutely. Classic Isogai, worrying for everyone. It brought back memories of his time here. The mission, the assassinations, the training… It almost hurt looking at his face too, because it was a mixture of nostalgia and sorrow. The best memories are accompanied by the worst ones, after all.

“Is Aguri-san not here?” Naho asked, accepting the help from… the students. 

“We thought you bailed,” Terasaka spoke, and those around him nodded, “‘Haven’t seen ‘er in three days, same as you.” He crossed his arms, looking to the side.

Naho paled. “W- what?” Three days? Aguri’s been missing ever since he was dropped off at the hospital? His heart sped up, and he gulped dryly. 

“By the way,” Nakamura, ”Where have you been, Mr. I-Pretend-To-Be-A-Good-Teacher?”

He caught the joke, and he would have laughed since she was obviously being sarcastic… but he couldn’t bring himself to. With Aguri missing… he couldn’t find it in himself to joke around. 

“Yeah, where were you? Don’t you know we have midterms to prepare for?”

“Don’t go bailing again!”

He released his arm from Hara’s and pressed it lightly against his injury, wincing as he did so because even the slightest touch hurt like hell.

“I… apologize,” he said, sincerely, and hung his head, attempting to give at least a slight bow. “I won’t leave you guys again.” He took a deep breath and waited a moment before exhaling softly.

He separated himself from Isogai and Hara, and with a practiced smile, he told them to return to their seats. Their words may have been cold, but their eyes were desperate. He couldn’t leave them alone… and as much as he hates to admit… Aguri can wait. 

He had a feeling she was okay. He would go searching for her after school.

* * *

“Please! I just need to know if my friend is all right! It’s been days, how long must we be kept here?” Aguri pleaded to the camera in her cell, but to no avail. No voice recording followed, the little red light didn’t flicker, there was simply no sign of response. 

She groaned with pure frustration and sank down to the ground. Her head smacked against the wall behind her, and the sting that followed bothered her less than the situation she found herself in. How many days has it been since the lab exploded? How many days since Naho was flown, literally, to the hospital? Was he alright? Did… did he live?

She brought her knees to her chest and buried her face between them. Her hands gripped her tangled, brown hair as a sigh puffed from her nose. She was being held in a cell, separated from Grim Reaper and ignored like trash on a sidewalk. By who? Aguri had a vague idea. It has to be directly linked to the government.

It happened so fast. She recalls Grim Reaper rushing both her and Naho to the hospital that night, and not wanting to risk public panic, they separated. Aguri had to carry her… her _best friend_ into the hospital while Reaper hid.

But when she returned to him, they were caught by surprise. They were restrained by… the Ministry of Defense, if she remembers correctly. _But were they really the MoD?_ She bit her tongue in thought. Everything was a mess. What should she do? What _can_ she do? 

“Damn it!” she hissed, slamming a fist on the ground. Yanagisawa was right… She's a useless, good for nothing, moronic woman! She can’t do anything right. She fails at everything. She’s a terrible sister, a terrible teacher, a terrible fiancée, a terrible “acquaintance,” and a terrible friend! 

Tears leaked from her eyes. Why? Why, why, why? Her body stiffened as she fought to keep her tears at bay. Why is it that, no matter how hard she tries, she never does things right?

“Yukimura Aguri-san.” A new voice had Aguri flinching. Her head shot up and, at the sight of the man who escorted her here, in the beginning, she began wiping away her tears.

She cleared her throat as she stood up from the ground, dusting away the imaginary dirt from her clothing. “A- Agent Karasuma,” she greeted, voice lower than she anticipated. 

The man on the other side of the cell eyed her with a stoic expression, remaining as stiff as a board. Her eyes traveled just behind Karasuma, meeting with… a yellow octopus?

She squinted.

Then her eyes widened. Is that…?

… “Reap—”

“Ah, Aguri, there you are,” Reaper spoke, successfully cutting her off. She tilted her head, then she glanced at Karasuma’s slightly narrowed eyes and promptly caught the message.

To cover her tracks, she coughed, loudly, into her hands. If Reaper didn’t want the agent to know who he was… then she won’t say a word. She continued the act for a few seconds longer, and when she finally stopped… the gates to her cell were open, and a tissue was held in front of her.

Cautiously, she took it, nodding in thanks at Karasuma. She eyed the raven-haired, poker-faced agent a little longer before darting her eyes away, wiping her mouth with the tissue.

“Oh my, it seems you’re catching something. Perhaps the stress has finally caught up with you…” Reaper placed a yellow tentacle on her head, softly ruffling her bangs.

That’s odd. Aguri eyed the tentacles… then the rest of him. From his… feet(?) to his beach-ball-like head. Is this… the final transformation? And… were his words genuine or fake? Right now it was hard to tell. His human face is gone. 

Aguri quirked a brow when Reaper laughed at something Karasuma said that she wasn’t paying any attention to.

Oh, wait—

“Enough!” hissed Karasuma, smacking a tentacle away. “Quit your childish games, **_monster_**.”

Aguri flinched, images of the previous year flashing before her eyes. Monster? No… he’s not a monster. Everyone in the lab was a monster. Yanagisawa was a monster. She is a monster—

“Now, now,” Reaper giggled again, earning a confused and slightly scared look from Aguri, “Let’s tell my friend here the news.”

She gulped, looking at Karasuma’s way. The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. What news? What’s going on?

Karasuma met her gaze. “Yukimura-san, by order of the Ministry of Defense, you are hereby responsible for this… creature.”

The colors drained from her face. But she calmed a little when a tentacle landed on her shoulder. That’s right… calm down… let the man speak… don’t jump to conclusions…

Karasuma continued, “The octopus tells me you’re a teacher at Kunugigaoka, and our information backs it up. The Ministry and the monster made a deal… we simply need your cooperation so we can proceed.”

She took in a shaky breath, swallowing the lump in her throat afterward. Her mind was a mess. A bigger mess than when she decided to wear her questionable clothes. She exhaled slowly, inaudible. If she cooperates… will she be able to leave this place? Will she see Akari again? And Naho? Her students?

Without a second thought, she nodded.

* * *

The day stretched slowly, despite it being particularly short since he only had to teach three classes. Though the minute class was over for the day, Naho bolted. Yada and Takebayashi stayed behind to clean up, so he asked them to lock up the campus when they were finished. 

The rush down the mountain was a blur. The only thing, or rather, person, in his mind was Aguri. Where is she? Where can he find her? How can he contact her? He lost his phone, though he didn’t know if it was before or after being taken to the hospital. And with no phone, he had no way to contact anyone.

For now, he’ll check the last place he saw her.

The lab.

Naho was now speed-walking across the street, making his way to the train station. He needs to hurry. He needs to find her. He needs to know if she’s alive. 

He was too occupied with his thoughts that he failed to see the person he was going to bump into.

When he saw them, or rather, her, it was already too late.

Both yelped upon contact, and only one ended up on the floor. It wasn’t Naho.

The impact took Naho’s breath away, literally. His injury screamed in protest, pulsing and aching in pure agony. He choked on a whimper and resisted the urge to throw up. 

It took all of his will power not to faint right then and there. He struggled to breathe properly, panting erratically, and if he didn’t control it soon, he would hyperventilate.

“A- are you okay?” a familiar voice spoke, but Naho didn’t respond. 

He used one of his hands to cover his mouth, forcing himself to breathe through his nose. The other hand was on his knee, keeping himself up. He didn’t even notice he was hunched over.

“Naho…-san?”

Naho, once again, didn’t respond. But it was more like he couldn’t. He did, however, dart his teary eyes in the person’s direction. Brown hair… hazel eyes… It was Kayano! She stared at him from the ground with concern drowning her face. And in a flash, she got up and appeared by his side, one of her hands rubbing circles on his back.

He closed his eyes and focused on her instead of the pain.

“Oh, gosh,” she whispered from beside him, “What do I do, what do I do…?”

It took a while. People walked around them, not one of them giving them a second glance. Kayano stayed by his side… until Naho couldn’t take it anymore.

“I think my stitches reopened.” And the next thing he knows, he blacks out.

* * *

“You reckless fiend! Imagine what could’ve happened if you were even the slightest bit late! I've had rebellious patients in the past, Yamada-san, but this is utterly ridiculous." 

The Doctor, which Naho came to know by as Ao-Sensei, glared down at him like a parent would to their misbehaving child. 

"Not only did you escape this hospital, but you reopened stitches of a wound that, if left open for too long, could get infected and kill you!"

Naho shrunk in on himself, his cheeks burning from embarrassment. He's being treated like a child and he hates it, but he can't argue back. Looking at his situation from Ao-Sensei's perspective, even he can see that his actions can be considered childish.

But he was so worried about Aguri and Koro-Sensei that he could not even consider his own health.

"Luckily this young lady brought you here!" Ao-Sensei jabbed a finger in Kayano- Akari's direction. The girl flinched when the attention was on her. "What do you have to say for yourself, huh?"

Naho hung his head. "S- sorry... Ao-Sensei..."

Ao-Sensei fumed as he crossed his arms looking down at Nagisa with sharp, brown eyes. "And?"

His fake ruby eyes darted towards Akari. "Thank you, Yukimura-chan..."

She merely nodded, although stiffly.

The Doctor clicked his tongue and rubbed the bridge of his nose, and after a moment of tense silence, he released a tired sigh. "Listen, Yamada-san, just because I find you suspiciously alien, it doesn't mean I will disregard your health. I'm in charge of you, whether both of us like it or not. Please take care of yourself, that way the people around you don't have heart attacks."

Naho bit his cheek. He didn't think of it like that. The image of Hara's and Isogai's concerned eyes flashed in his mind, which made him glower with guilt. Akari, the spitting image of his best friend in his timeline, worried about him too... He didn't want that.

"Okay," he said, and he meant it. He'll be careful from now on.

Ao-Sensei nodded. "Good. Look, I need to fill out some papers, I'll be back in an hour. Don't go anywhere or I'll personally tie you down to the bed. Yukimura-chan, please watch over him until I return."

"O- okay!"

Naho watched as Ao-Sensei walked to the door, fingers inches away from the knob. He hesitated, looking over his shoulder to glance at him, and after a second, he shook his head and exited the room. The silence that followed was heavy, almost suffocating. Wearily, he looked over at young Akari, only to meet with blood lust-filled eyes.

Like a switch, Naho's entire demeanor calmed. His breathing slowed as well as his heart. His lips curled down slightly in disappointment. Not towards her, but towards himself.

"Where is she?" Akari's voice nearly sent shivers up his spine. It was cold, almost cruel as the words slipped passed her lips. If he were anyone else, he would have shivered.

 _I'm sorry_ , he wants to say, but doesn't. Right now isn't the time for apologies. "I don't know," he said, loud and clear. Akari narrowed her eyes dangerously, so he added, "I left the hospital to go look for her. I was on my way to the last place I saw her when I bumped into you..."

"The lab."

Naho nodded, almost stiffly. "I don't have my phone, so I can't call her..."

"She won't answer her calls. I tried." Akari stood from the seat and took slow steps toward the bed in which Naho sat on. "I was on my way to the lab, you know. When I got there, everything was a mess. I only got a glimpse of my sister, tears in her eyes as she was taken by the monster, alongside you."

Ruby eyes widened. So that's how he got here in the first place. Koro-Sensei...

Akari's voice startled him. "That was three days ago. Not even Yanagisawa knows where she is, and I begged him. Do you know how humiliating that was? But it's okay. If it's for my sister..."

"You seem different," Naho cut in, giving Akari a sideway glance. He knew why her personality was off, and he hated himself for failing to prevent it from happening. He failed Kayano... Aguri... and even Koro-Sensei.

The girl chuckled, now sitting down on the edge of the bed. The sheets ruffled beneath her. "I took a little something, don't worry about it." Her voice turned serious. "Where is she, Naho."

With a heavy heart, Naho turned to meet her cruel eyes. Isn't it... a bit too soon for Akari to have gotten her tentacles? Aguri didn't even die (he prayed for her safety). Why did Akari still get the tentacles? Why is fate playing him like this?

Also...

What can he tell her? He doesn't know where Aguri is! Hell, he wants to know where she is. Where Koro-Sensei is. Are they all alright? Are they safe? He wants to know, but he doesn't, and it's killing him.

Naho met Akari's eyes, crazed with bloodlust, and he could see how much she struggled to hold back. Her shoulders were stiff, and her whole body trembled. She must've gotten them recently if she was struggling to control them.

"You know... Aguri really cares about Ko-" Naho forced a cough. She can't know his eventual name- "The monster you speak of." Akari's face darkened. He put his hands up, showing no harm. "I may not know where she is, but if she's with... Him... Then she is undoubtedly safe."

Her eyes twitched in anger. Naho gulped. No good.

"I mean, he brought me to the hospital when he could have just left me to die at the lab..." That's when a green tentacle slammed against the wall behind him. He involuntarily stiffened, which caused his stomach to cramp up, thus irritating his injury. His hand twitched, resisting the urge to press against the injury.

"I'm dangerous, what makes you think he isn't?"

Naho wanted Akari to calm down, but his words only angered her. There's nothing he can say to simmer her rage... And it's not like he can kiss her to distract her long enough for someone to extract her tentacles. Koro-Sensei isn't even here. And she's technically a minor...

Akari opened her mouth, ready to threaten him further, but the doorknob jiggled. Time seemed to freeze. In less than a second, Akari retracted her tentacles.

The door slammed open, revealing a familiar face.

"Aguri?!"

The name slipped passed Naho's lips before he could even stop himself. The sight of her brought him relief. She's safe, she's alive. He did it; she gets to live!

Aguri's eyes were wide, and she breathed frantically. She stepped into the room, looking just about ready to jump on him, but Akari rushed forward and threw herself on Aguri. 

The older sister blinked in confusion. "A- Akari?" Despite her clear confusion, she returned the hug that was thrown at her. Not long after that, sniffles were heard.

"I- I thought you... were in trouble!" Akari choked out, rubbing her face in Aguri's chest. Naho's heart melted at that, a small smile tugging at his lips.

His eyes met Aguri's, and at that moment he knew they really needed to catch up.

* * *

"The Ministry brought you in for questioning?"

Aguri scoffed. "It was more like "forcefully took us in" for questioning." She ran her fingers through her sister's hair as Akari slept peacefully on her lap. "They kept me in a cell the majority of the time... Reaper was kept somewhere else."

Naho nodded. "I see. Anything interesting happened?"

"If by interesting you mean our class is going to be forced to kill the person I care about, then..."

He sighed, already knowing what she meant. The Assassination Classroom is back in business, or, uh, beginning business? Considering it's the first time it's happening in this timeline... He shook his head, leaning back a little.

"Trust me, that's not the craziest thing that's going to happen."

Aguri raised a brow. "I hope you won't mind me fishing for details in the near future."

He shrugged. "Things are already changing, so I may as well come clean. Though I'm not sure if my knowledge is completely accurate because of the changes..."

"What changes?"

Naho's smile stiffened. "Well, you're alive... That's one of them."

She stilled, her mouth forming an o. Then, Naho glanced at the current tentacle-wielder. Aguri doesn't know yet, but he's not sure if he should tell her.

Kayano, of his timeline, is a good friend of his, she's family, and she always does things for a reason. He knows Akari's reasoning, or at least partly, and he knows that she's got the tentacles under control.

He just worries about her health. Don't they hurt?

He doesn't want to tell Aguri something that Akari may want to tell her herself. But... What if she's suffering?

He'll... ask her when he gets the chance.

"Where's Reaper?" he chose to say instead, forcing his eyes away.

Aguri's face soured as if she bit into a lemon. "Preparing to give our students a heart attack tomorrow. He was happy about it too, the _nerve..._ Those tentacles really brought out his true personality." Despite her choice of words, there was a fondness present on her features that Naho could practically feel the intense feelings Aguri had toward Koro-Sensei.

He almost shed a tear at the sheer purity.

Naho breathed out a laugh. "Too bad I'll be stuck here while you have fun..."

Aguri gave him a look. "If you count preventing a class of twenty-five students from panicking as fun, then..."

Naho laughed a little and then shot her a wink. "I'm sure you can handle them. _Especially_ mini-me."

"What are you talking about? Mini-you is a delight."

"You clearly don't know mini-me."

Young Shiota Nagisa may be polite and respectful, but he hides many things. Things that are dark and cruel and Naho only knows this because he used to _be him_. That's... another thought to dive into. And another problem to fix...

His eyes widened slightly. That's right. He still has things to do.

"Naho?"

He locked eyes with his friend, offering her a warm smile. The worry in her eyes dimmed by a bit as she offered a smile of her own.

Koro-Sensei, Young Akari, Young Shiota... There are still things he needs to do and people he needs to help. He should have helped them as soon as he arrived in this world, he realizes. Maybe he couldn't help Koro-Sensei or Aguri and Akari for that matter, Aguri being forced to work at the lab with her... fiancé. And Shiota's still difficult to convince to be honest with his feelings...

He may have to try a different approach. But how can he... convince... his younger self to be honest, when Naho, back then, took almost an entire year to confess? And even then, he didn't tell his friends of the terrors that hid behind his closed doors.

They didn't notice, either.

Naho shook his head at the thought. No, it wasn't their fault. He was just too good at hiding it. "Shiota-kun has a lot of secrets, Aguri," he mumbled, shifting his position to be more comfortable.

She quirked an eyebrow.

He breathed in. "He... He needs help." When did it get hot? "He has a tough life at home and... and he's hiding it because he's scared. He thinks the people around him will mock him, so he doesn't reach out." Pressure pooled behind his eyes, and the hand that gripped his shoulder in comfort did nothing. "He's scared. He doesn't show it, but he's scared."

The grip on his shoulder tightened. "Naho..." her voice was weary, "What's... going on at home?"

He caught on to what she meant to say. _What did you go through?_ A lump formed in his throat, and he darted his eyes downward, avoiding Aguri's stare. Instead, he met Akari's, which were wide open, brimming with clear curiosity.

"Awake, I see." He chuckled, and Aguri followed his stare.

He smiled when Aguri began to fuss over her sister. Oh look... he's done it again. He avoided the topic when his life isn't the one at stake here. He really has learned nothing.

* * *

Aguri was outside speaking to Ao-Sensei, and Naho was currently having a staring contest with Akari.

It's been going on for almost a minute now, neither really saying anything. Akari narrowed her eyes every few often as if trying to decode something in Naho's artificial irises.

"You didn't tell Aguri about the tentacles," she spoke, finally, but her eyes never faltered. The eyes are the windows to the soul, he supposed. They're meant to have an honest conversation, it seemed.

Though, he was curious... How much did she hear of his and Aguri's conversation?

"It's not my secret to tell..." He swallowed. "Don't they hurt?"

Her eyes narrowed again. "How would you know?"

He fiddled with his hands nervously, wriggling his toes under the blankets he was given. If he lies, she'll know. She's an actress, after all. "You made a face when you, uh, used them. You looked like you were in pain..."

"They do hurt, but I can handle it."

"Are you gonna get rid of them?"

Brown eyes darkened with bloodlust. Haha... oops. "I... I don't know how."

Or no oops? Naho blinked, his shoulders relaxing. "You want to get rid of them?"

"I didn't need to get revenge..." she shrugged, though she winced as she did so, "I don't need them anymore. They keep asking me what I wish for, but there's nothing for me to wish for. I don't need them. I don't want them."

He licked his lips in thought. He knows how to get rid of them... but does Koro-Sensei? He knew in his timeline, but does he know in this one?

It's worth the try. "I... may have an idea on how to get rid of them."

Her eyes widened, and light began to pool in them. "Then, enlighten me."

And he will.

* * *

When Naho was finally released from the hospital, he went straight home. He needed a shower. He needed clean clothing. He needed... to write down the key events that happened in his own timeline in a journal or something. And he needs to write down every possible solution to those events...

It was a school day when he was released. After doing what he needed to at home, Naho headed straight to Kunugigaoka.

He still had to speak with Principal Asano.

His stomach twisted in knots. He hoped nothing bad happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any specific things you'd like to see in this story?


	5. Fake It 'Till You Make It

The pleasant warmth caressed his face as he took a small sip of his tea. Naho let it sit in his mouth, the flavor running through every little crevasse, before swallowing. He hummed, content at the warmth that traveled down his trachea. He hasn’t had the chance to relax like this since he traveled through time. It was… nice. 

“How is your injury?”

Naho lifted his eyes slowly, silently addressing the man that both scared him and pleased him (to a degree). Asano senior stared at him with patience in his eyes, as if he was willing to wait hours and hours for his answer. That was both a blessing and a curse.

“I no longer require stitches. Now I just need to let it heal on its own,” he responded, keeping his lips pressed against his cup, not minding the heat that burned the sensitive skin. Three weeks is all it took for his injury to seal, though it was also three weeks that Naho was out of school. He couldn’t wait to be allowed back into the action.

“A few things have changed since your temporary leave.” There was a sharpness to his tone that made his stomach drop. “I want you to teach back here, at the Main Campus.”

He takes it back. It's not nice. Not nice at all-

Naho inhaled sharply, his heart rate gradually speeding up. He swallowed. “I… want to teach E Class,” he said, wearily and cautiously. The palms of his hands began to dampen with sweat, but he kept his composure.

Then, Asano narrowed his eyes, and the air around him turned heavy, making it nearly impossible to breathe. 

“It wasn’t a question.”

His skin pricked in all directions, it was as if centipedes were thrown at him and were crawling all over his skin. Naho’s stomach churned, preparing to empty its contents. He held it in. He would not be seen in a vulnerable state by a man he doesn’t trust.

Naho placed the cup down on Asano’s desk, the item making a small chink as it met the surface. He breathed as slowly as he could to calm his heart… and hopefully, stop the room from spinning.

“N- nor was it… an… an order.” He cringed at his own stuttering. His throat tightened, and he knew he had to leave soon. 

“You’re too much like Yukimura.” The smile that Asano flashed him was terrifying. “If it weren’t for the fact that you interest me, Yamada Naho, I would have given you your walking papers.”

He didn’t have an answer. He wanted to claw at his skin to get rid of the feeling, he wanted to empty his stomach, he wanted to turn away just so he didn’t have to look at Asano’s face… The room spun and spun like a carousel, and all he could do was shut his eyes.

That’s when the tense atmosphere lifted, and he could finally breathe.

“You are dismissed,” said Asano, tone neutral. “Resume as you normally would.”

Naho stood, bowed, and turned away. He left without saying a word.

* * *

The trip up the mountain was an exhausting one. Which is why when he was halfway up, he stopped to catch his breath. He really needed to get back into shape. 

He made himself comfortable under a tree and began to reflect on what occurred earlier. His skin still had goosebumps, and no matter how much he rubbed his arms, they wouldn’t go away.

What was up with the principal though? He seemed more… uh… scary than usual. He almost got fired, for crying out loud! Though, to be fair, Naho was out of line… finding loopholes in Asano’s words and all. Who even does that?

Crazy people, that’s who!

Naho let out a long, despairing sigh, scratching his head as he did so.

“Excuse me-” Naho froze at the sudden voice- “Are you a new student?”

Red eyes darted upward, widening at the sight of an all too familiar face. To say he’s surprised is an understatement. Which, all things considered, is pretty stupid because Naho is literally from a different future!

“I… uh…” Words failed to roll off his tongue, but the tall, raven-haired man before him only waited patiently. Naho cleared his throat, eyes darting to the side and cheeks burning from embarrassment. “T- teacher, actually.”

Karasuma Tadaomi merely raised a brow.

He slowly stood from the ground and dusted away the leaves and twigs that stuck themselves to his clothes. “I was hospitalized for a few weeks… I was released earlier today. Sorry…” gotta pretend not to know him… “But who are you?”

Karasuma held off on answering for a moment as if contemplating what to say. “Karasuma Tadaomi. I’m the new P.E. teacher.”

Naho pretended to be surprised. “Oh? Principal Asano didn’t mention… although he did say there have been changes…” he pressed a knuckle to his lip, narrowing his eyes in thought. “Not even Aguri… hm…”

“They’re fairly recent changes.”

He smiled. “I see. Well then, want to fill me in on what’s been going on as we go?”

* * *

Naho laughed a little too loudly as he and Karasuma made it to the top. “An octopus? Isn’t that a little too mean to say about the other newbie?”

This was… fun. The irritated expression on Karasuma’s face was absolutely priceless. This is probably going to become a regular thing. It, of course, brought back memories of his own time…

A sudden breeze swooshed passed him, making his hair fly in all directions. Both he and Karasuma shielded their faces, though Naho released a very ungraceful shriek.

He heard Karasuma sigh from beside him, so he lowered his arms and opened his eyes-

“Naho!”

-only for him to get tackled to the ground by a very excited Aguri. He can’t explain it, but he’s overcome with emotions he’s never felt before. 

It's not really loving. He knows what love feels like. Painfully so. But it’s more like a grand amount of affection toward someone close. Not a friend, nor a best friend…

Family, perhaps?

He didn’t even peep at the slight ache in his abdomen, where a scar now resides, only returning Aguri’s hug as tightly as she had given him. 

“I’m back.” He grinned. “Sorry for taking so long.”

And then Aguri got up, pulling Naho up with her, and introduced Naho to Karasuma and vice versa. Karasuma bowed in respect and went in the direction the students were running in.

Were they trying to assassinate Korosensei?

“Reap— ah, Koro…-san… messed up the flowers the students worked so hard on growing. So he’s…”

“Allowing them to strike him in kill off?” Naho finished her sentence, ruby eyes glimmering in amusement. Then he spotted two students holding rope and harpoons made of bamboo. It was Sugino running alongside...Kayano?

His eyes widened. “Akari-chan enrolled?” This certainly made things a little easier.

Aguri leaned against his side, a soft sigh escaping her lips. “She said she wanted to keep an eye on you because of how reckless you are—“

Naho felt an arrow pierce his soul.

“—and because she likes you.”

He spluttered. From the corner of his eye, he saw Aguri narrow her eyes.

“Yamada Naho, I swear if you even think about returning my sister’s feelings I will castrate you. She’s far too young for someone as old as you—“

Naho screeched and jumped away. “No way! I’m not- why would you- That’s gross, and I’m gay! Aguri, what the hell?!”

Then her pretty doe eyes shone in amusement, a giggle tearing through her throat. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! That second part was a lie…” she laughed.

He merely stared at her in betrayal. “That’s mean, you know…” he puffed his cheek… “Attacking me like that just as I get out of the hospital.”

Then her eyes softened. “How are you by the way?” 

He flashed her a smile. “Better. As long as I don’t strain myself, I should be good.”

Her features relaxed, and she sighed in relief. “Come on, let’s go to class. I want to… _introduce_ you to Korosensei.”

He shook his head with a laugh. “Sure.”

* * *

When he walked into class, after the students picked up their recently acquired weapons, he was met with disappointed stares. The amount of scrutiny he received from the students left behind an uncomfortable flutter in his stomach, which made him feel like he was a kid again, dealing with low confidence and low self-esteem and depression.

He tried to pay them no mind, deciding to act like a shocked puppy when he “met” Korosensei for the “first time.” Especially after being briefed on the mission.

That lowered the amount of scrutiny, and instead he had to deal with “light-hearted” humiliation from the students. He admits he didn’t like the treatment… but he also understands why they act the way they do. He _was_ one of them, after all. 

Aguri noticed halfway through the day, and became highly disappointed… but Naho being Naho, he told her not to worry about it and to not mention anything. 

Right now the teachers were in the lounge, Korosensei preparing his own lessons for the next class. The fifteen-minute break would be over soon which meant that before he could give the class over to the giant, yellow octopus, he had to walk back into class.

But he didn’t want to meet Nakamura’s remarks or Terasaka’s disappointment. He didn’t want to feel his counterpart’s scrutiny or the heat of Yoshida’s words. He didn’t want to see, feel, heat any of that. Naho knows it’s unavoidable, and that he deserves their treatment.

After all, he promised he wouldn’t leave them again… and what is it that he does next? He leaves them again. He broke their trust… injury or not, he shouldn’t have done that.

“You know, _Yamada_ -sensei,” Korosensei spoke, and Naho forced himself to flinch, earning a repressed laugh from Aguri and a slight tick of Karasuma’s eyebrow.

“Y- yes?” He tightly gripped his own lesson plans, because why not add a little more drama?

“The students don’t seem to like you very much,” he remarked, wiggling a tentacle around. “Why is that?”

“K- Koro-san!” Aguri chided.

Karasuma didn’t engage.

Naho… didn’t answer immediately. He merely stared at Korosensei for a moment before looking down at his files. Korosensei is fishing for information, as any good assassin would do. He was almost giddy to be in his presence again, alive and well, and not slipping through his fingers in a multitude of glowing particles.

He pushed down the memory.

With a sharp inhale, he spoke, “I broke their trust.”

The best assassin in the world perked up. “Oh? Care to elaborate?”

Aguri fumed from beside him, tapping her finger against the table in slight irritation. Korosensei didn’t pay her any mind, however, and kept his focus on him.

Naho scratched the nape of his neck, cheeks slightly burning. He could tell every ear in the room was listening, even if one of them seemed to be busy with his laptop.

“I… told them I wouldn’t abandon them… again… but ended up doing just that because of my stupid injury.” He spat the last part rather harshly. 

Korosensei’s yellow round head cocked to the side. “But you had no control over that.”

He froze. “E- even so-!”

He was interrupted, “The students are being rather unreasonable. I’ll go speak to them!”

Naho blinked when Korosensei whooshed out of the room. “Wha-“ his eyes widened- “Wait! Stop!” He followed after the octopus, leaving Aguri and Karasuma behind.

“He’s not very good at acting, is he?” Karasuma stopped typing at his laptop. “Not when there’s pressure on him.”

Aguri chuckled lightly, her former irritation fading away. “Naho… isn’t fazed easily, except when, as you said, he’s under pressure. But he’s not a bad guy… he… saved my life.”

Karasuma waited for elaboration, but all he got was a serene smile. 

His eyes darted back to his screen. “He’s not very selfish.”

It was a fact.

Aguri frowned. “He should be… at least once in a while.”

* * *

Naho ran for only two minutes before catching up to Korosensei, who, to his confusion, stood before the door to the classroom. He caught his breath and was just about ready to ask what he was doing… but Kayano’s voice halted him.

“What’s your problem?” Her voice was muffled due to the door… but he could still hear her. He swallowed, following Korosensei’s example.

“He’s done nothing wrong and you’re treating him like shit!”

“You weren’t here for what he did, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” Maehara…

“Listen, we get where you’re coming from, but he deserves it! He lied!” Kimura…

Naho folded his arms, hunching his shoulders slightly, but then a tentacle landed on his shoulder, forcing him to look up. He was met with a kind smile.

“Yeah?” Kayano snapped. “What is it that he lied about exactly?”

A loud clutter was heard from inside, followed by Nakamura’s voice. “He said he wouldn’t leave!”

“And just when we believe him, he stabs us in the back!” Sugino shouted. “That’s not cool!”

“Now that he’s back, you can’t expect us to be chill about it!”

A chorus of “Yeah”s was heard.

Naho bit the inside of his cheek but continued to listen. It felt wrong… but if Korosensei was encouraging it…

It still felt wrong.

“When was this, huh? Three weeks ago? Before I got here, right?” Kayano huffed, and Naho could almost imagine her crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

“What of it?” Terasaka practically growled.

“Naho-san was hospitalized the entire time you’ve been angry at him. He was discharged just earlier today.”

And the class quieted down. 

Only Hara’s disbelieving “What?” was heard.

Then, little Shiota said, “W- why was he…”

“I don’t know the specifics, but apparently, he was impaled by something, which left a pretty big injury. He needed a lot of stitches. Since he escaped the hospital to check on you guys, he was forced to stay for three weeks until he healed up, because his stitches had reopened after bumping into me.” 

Naho detected a little bit of guilt in Kayano’s voice, but it didn’t waver her resolve. He… felt overwhelmed. She’s defending him. His eyes watered, but he bit his lip, forcing his tears at bay.

"So you guys owe someone an apology." And that was the last thing he heard Kayano say.

The tentacle on Naho’s shoulder moved to ruffle his dyed hair, and that was what forced his tears to fall. Memories of _his_ time in E Class resurfaced, leaving him a crying mess. Naho wipes his tears away violently and pinches his nose to stop himself from snotting all over the place.

Until a tissue is held out in front of him. He takes it with gratitude.

“Now that I know the full story,” Korosensei began, “I can find a solution. You and I need to have a little talk, by the way. About who you really are.”

Naho blew his nose, but nodded either way.

Korosensei chuckled, removing the tentacle from his head. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this. You just worry about freshening up, okay?”

Naho sniffled. “Okay…”

Then he slid the doors open, and Naho was just awkwardly standing there, accidentally meeting eyes with some of the students. He turned away with a wobbly smile and went to the bathroom to wash his face.

Today was exhausting, huh.

* * *

The day was over and Naho was left behind with Aguri and her little sister. Karasuma left and so did Korosensei, but he mentioned he would be returning shortly. His first day back was rather stressful, but he knows it’s only until he falls back into routine.

Or new routine since assassination was added to the agenda. 

He found himself sitting on the steps outside the campus, fingers twirling a lock of hair. He should get glasses, now that he thinks about it. It’ll add to the “geeky, crybaby” teacher look. Granted, that’s not how he wanted to be seen… but he’s been quite vulnerable lately so why not?

Maybe he’ll be dubbed as “harmless” and be left alone.

Why is he being so depressing today? Geez...

Something in the back of his mind spiked, and he knew he wasn’t alone. Not a second later, Kayano sat beside him on the steps.

He turned his head to address her. “Yukimura-chan,” he greeted, then he lowered his voice a little, “Thank you… for earlier. You didn’t have to, but thank you.”

Kayano hummed, reaching into her bag and pulling out two cups of pudding. She gave one to Naho, which he accepted with confusion.

“They weren’t treating you right. They were judging without seeing the bigger picture. I only showed them the bigger picture.” She then pulled out plastic spoons and gave him one.

“Thank you.” He opened the pudding in sync with her. “How are you? Regarding the, um…”

“Tentacles?”

He nodded, scooping some pudding and plopping it in his mouth.

Kayano did the same, releasing a sigh after she swallowed. “They don’t hurt anymore.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, spoon in his mouth. 

“Not since I told them I wanted to protect.”

Naho looked at her. “That’s… interesting.” He never really understood how the tentacles worked. All he knew was that they changed a person depending on what the person wanted to do with them.

Their conversation died down after that, both simply enjoying the soft warmth of the sun as they ate their puddings. Aguri had joined them later on as well, waiting for Korosensei to arrive from Vietnam.

It was nice out. So nice that Naho forgot about today’s troubles as he leaned against Aguri’s shoulder. His pudding cup, now empty, lay abandoned by his feet, and all he could do was close his eyes and let the gentle breeze kiss his skin.

What was today but a frazzled mess will be tomorrow a better day. 

In his heart he hopes the best for the future of those around him, despite their dislike of his person. 

He has much to think about. Far too much. He must find a way to save Korosensei from himself and the government, and find a way to extract Kayano’s tentacles before she is found out by anyone. Little Shiota is in need of assistance and, if he’s not mistaken, Little Akabane should be joining the class soon, which means he has to win over his lack of respect for himself.

And then it’s Bitch-Sensei… A small smile tugged at his lips. So many people to help and meet and protect. As long as Naho is busy, he can say with all confidence that everything will turn out for the best.

His eyes opened, crimson irises shooting up at the sky. So much to do… he mustn’t let his emotions take over as he allowed them to earlier today. A teacher brags confidence despite not having it themselves. 

Fake it ‘till you make it, right?


	6. Enigma

It was a fine Sunday afternoon when Naho began his search for the perfect glasses. There was nothing wrong with his sight, per se, _seeing_ (ha… get it?) as he has twenty-twenty vision… but every time he looked at his face in the mirror he saw his former appearance. And that’s a bit of an issue.

He walked by the stalls that displayed all kinds of faked-lens glasses. There were square glasses, rectangle glasses, and even triangle glasses! Does he want to look like a math geek? A literature geek? Or a weird geek? The possibilities were endless.

He pressed a knuckle against his lower lip as inspected the spectacles. He has no clue which ones would make him look less like himself…

“You should get the big, round ones,” a voice spoke from beside him. 

Instead of jumping from shock, Naho reached toward the big, circular glasses and tried them on. He looked at himself in the mini mirror provided by the store clerks and whistled slowly. They… didn’t look bad. Naho pushed them up a little and moved his hair out of his face to get a better view.

“Your suspension is over, I take it?” he said without ever looking at the person, already knowing who it is. With a satisfied huff, he straightened up and paid for the glasses. They’re pretty decent.

Akabane Karma released a sigh, which almost sounded like a grunt. “Yep. Nothing like returning to school for all kinds of fun.”

Noticing the sarcasm, Naho laughed and shook his head. With a small wave of his hand, he turned in the other direction. “In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sorry to disappoint, Teach, but I’m in E Class,” Karma said from behind him.

Naho looked over his shoulder and flashed him a grin. Karma tilted his head, confused. “Sorry to disappoint, Akabane-kun, so am I.”

* * *

This Karma’s arrival was… as interesting as Naho’s Karma’s arrival. Naho was grading papers while the students practiced swinging in the eight directions during P.E. Karma stopped by before going out to squeeze off one of Korosensei’s tentacles.

He brought Naho a notepad, which confused him. He accepted it with gratitude, but he still asked why.

Karma had merely shrugged and said, “You’re a geek now so why not.” His comment made Naho feel good about his newly acquired glasses. And then he was off to cause mischief.

Naho continued to stare at the little notepad, which was decorated with a chibi zebra sticker at the front. 

That was… so random.

But then again, so were the other students. Naho fixed his stare on the items he had been receiving since he arrived at school today.

A book of the dark arts by Hazama, a helix chain by Okuda, a manga by Fuwa, a self portrait by Sugaya… a knitted yellow scarf by Terasaka…

The last gift left Naho touched. _He really took up knitting…_ He almost shed a tear. 

But seriously, what’s with the students today? Is it his birthday? Actually, no, that’s dumb. It’s not even close to summer vacation…

He should really ask Aguri… if she were here, that is. Naho frowned. Aguri was mercilessly defeated by a cold, or so the text said, word for word. 

Naho frowned further. Perhaps he should give her a visit later in the day.

* * *

“You saw his face when his tentacle exploded, right?!” Nakamura exclaimed, practically harassing Karma as they walked back into the classroom. “You were awesome!”

But Karma didn’t seem to mind the harassment. “Well, I aim to impress~”

Naho sighed and shook his head. Why is she feeding Karma’s ego?

The students pooled into the classroom, all talking about the assassination/mockery Korosensei suffered. Once they were seated, Naho picked up his things and waited for Korosensei to stop sulking outside the classroom.

“Naho-sensei!” Hara exclaimed suddenly, causing Naho to involuntarily flinch. Wasn’t she sitting in her seat just a second ago?

She stood before him, holding a… wrapped box in her hands.

The class quieted down and once again he feels everyone’s scrutiny. Hasn’t he had enough of their watchful eyes last time? He resisted the urge to shy away.

Hands feeling clammy, he speaks, “Did you need anything?” He hated the shake in his tone, but he couldn’t hide his nervousness. These are his friends. Maybe not now… but in his timeline…

Hara bowed as she presented the gift to him, and once again Naho was left confused and speechless. 

“This is for you. Please accept it!”

Blood rushed to his face and the tips of his ears. He’s left feeling overly warm. His lips parted but no words escaped. 

_Another one?_

He made eye contact with a few students, all of which had their eyes narrowed in scrutiny. He had no choice but to accept the gift without any questions asked. 

Once he made contact with the gift, “T-thank y-“ Hara sprinted back to her seat, and now Naho felt like a deer in headlights.

“Everything alright in here…?” A dead voice spooked Naho into squeaking, much to his embarrassment. He heard a few sniggers and his face burned even further. Naho leaves immediately with his things and his head ducked.

It’s not just what’s wrong with the students… what’s wrong with _him?_ Lately he’s been out of character. Is he getting sick? Is he already sick?

Naho made a sharp turn, his goal being to enter the office, but he smacked straight into Karasuma instead. He stumbled, his items fall, and his glasses fly. He’s in a haze, just barely picking up Karasuma’s words, questions of him being alright.

He just about escaped the haze when big, circular glasses were held in front of him. He took them with gratitude and put them back in their rightful place: on his face.

“You should be more careful,” said Karasuma evenly, his face as blank as Naho remembers. “What was all the commotion about?”

Naho looked at the scattered items around him and bent down to pick them up. 

“Akabane-kun managed to destroy one of Korosensei’s tentacles, as you’re most likely aware, and the students are excited about it.”

He lifted the notepad given to him by said student. Karasuma assisted in picking up the rest of the items. Naho is grateful.

“What do you think of him? Akabane Karma.” 

Naho shrugged. “He’s a good student.”

Something crossed over Karasuma’s face. “Have you seen his records?”

He nodded. “He’s still a good student. He has potential for so much more if he’s guided in the right direction.”

Both straightened up. Karasuma seemed to be thinking of something, probably what he just said. He’s perplexed, really. This Karasuma is a lot more milder than his, and that’s saying something. 

Naho reached toward Karasuma, and he takes the hint, his items are once again in his arms. Without any further exchange, Naho stepped into the office and Karasuma goes wherever he planned on going in the first place.

The rest of the day was filled with Karma’s taunting and Korosensei’s endless suffering. 

During the end of the last period, Naho ran into Korosensei in the washroom. He was cleaning a pink stain off his robe. 

Naho cleared his throat, making his presence known.

Korosensei turned his head. “Ah, Naho-san, my apologies.” He made to move out of his way, but Naho shook his head.

“Are you okay?” 

Korosensei made a noise of confusion. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He gave him a look. “Akabane-kun can be… cruel.”

He’s silent for a moment. Then, “I’ve noticed.”

He nodded, lips forming a thin line. “There's a reason behind his actions… but no excuse. I apologize on his behalf for any disrespect.” He bowed.

But Korosensei panicked. “T- there’s no need for that! Up, up!” Tentacles wrapped around Naho’s shoulders and made him straighten back up. Physically.

He smiled a little, then exited the washroom, Korosensei close behind. 

“I can’t help it… he’s my student.”

They stopped in the hallway. Naho crossed his arms. The mere thought of Karma being _his_ student almost cracked him up. He remembered when his Karma jokingly called him “Nagisa-Sensei” and how embarrassed he’d been. A bitter smile creeped at his lips. He wonders when he’ll hear his voice again… if he ever will.

“I can… somewhat understand what you’re saying.” Korosensei released a sigh as he mirrored Naho’s actions and crosses his tentacles.

Huh. Naho tilted his head. Then he released a chortle. “You’ll understand with time, Korosensei. Teaching isn’t just drilling education into students, and you’ll understand that too.”

The octopus looked at him. “How are you so sure?”

The warm feeling of nostalgia bloomed in his chest. “When I was in junior high, I had a teacher who was just like you. He didn’t know how a teacher was supposed to teach, so he feigned confidence and tried his best…” 

Naho took a step back as some students ran past him. Terasaka and Yoshida ran after Muramatsu who screamed at them to stop. He shook his head with a laugh.

Korosensei perksd up immediately. “N- no running in the halls!” 

But they had already reached the outdoors. 

Korosensei sulked.

Naho smiled fondly. “Yup. Exactly like you.”

Then the octopus turned to him. “Was he bad at it? Teaching, I mean.”

“No. He was the best damn teacher I ever had. Believed in me even when I didn’t.” Naho gave Korosensei a side glance. “In the end, I followed in his footsteps. Give yourself credit, sir, you may find yourself doing great things in the future.”

He stared. For a moment, that’s all he did. Then, something crossed over his face, and Korosensei’s mouth opened.

“Do I kno-“

“Naho-Sensei! Korosensei!” Shiota’s voice boomed across the hallway. 

Naho flinched at the loudness, but he quickly masked it by moving toward his counterpart. Though, when he looked at Korosensei, he saw the octopus giving him an odd look, almost curious.

Shiota ran toward them, and when he finally reached them, he stopped, hands on knees, gasping.

Instinctively, Naho placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”

Wide, azure eyes gazed at him, and then darted to Korosensei. “Karma-kun accidentally found Okajima’s porn magazine and, disgusted, threw it up on a tree!”

Korosensei gasped dramatically. “Oh no! The magazine!” And he zoomed away.

Naho rolled his eyes. So much for a heartwarming moment… “What’s the actual issue?”

Shiota straightened up and started fiddling with his hands. “Okajima-kun tried to get it and now he’s… uh… stuck.”

“In the tree?”

Shiota nodded, face gloomy. It’s almost funny.

Naho sighed. “Alright, please lead me to him. I’m pretty sure Korosensei is going to save the magazine rather than your classmate…”

“I- well, I wouldn’t put it past him…”

* * *

School ended about an hour and a half ago, however, E Class had yet to go home. At least some of them. Most of them had already left. 

Korosensei got to know his students, all while avoiding being stabbed. Oh, how stabby-happy they are! 

“Stay still, geez!” Kimura attempted to dig his anti-sensei knife into Korosensei’s tentacles, but he swiftly dodged.

Korosensei released a laugh, watching as Kimura landed on the ground, but his laugh quickly turned into a shriek when, out of nowhere, Isogai jumped in with a knife in hand.

He’s impressed!

He dodged strike after strike, and after Isogai tired out, he switched with Maehara.

What great coordination, honestly!

To think they’d be this eager to kill him for leaving Okajima in the tree! Classroom loyalty, he likes it.

By the time the students all tire out, he’s left to himself. He sat down on the steps, munching on some Vietnamese candy he bought the other day. On the far side of the field, he saw Nagisa, Naho, and Okajima chatting. Though it was mostly Naho scolding Okajima for reckless behavior.

Very hypocritical, in his opinion, considering Naho risked his very life to save Aguri’s. It’s not that he’s ungrateful. Quite the opposite, actually. If Aguri had died… there’d be no way for him to cope.

But there could have been other ways, right? To save her and not risk his life in the process?

Maybe that’s just wishful thinking…

Thinking that he would have never allowed into his head before meeting the very woman he feels so strongly about. 

Korosensei swallowed the last bit of candy and sighed in satisfaction. That hit the spot.

He heard Naho laugh, and his attention quickly returned to him. The three males head in the direction opposite to him, but Naho suddenly turned, red eyes meeting his. Korosensei held back a surprised gasp, resorting to waving his tentacle as Naho flashed him a smile that held no mal intent.

Yamada Naho is quite the mystery. He remembered the day, almost a month ago, when Naho nearly died… Aguri’s anguished screams…

What’s clear in his head is that Naho’s name was not the name Aguri screamed.

It was _Nagisa_. That’s the name he heard. Was it a mistake? A slip of the tongue? 

**”Nagisa!”**

Korosensei flinched when Aguri’s piercing voice echoed in his head.

**“Nagisa, stay with me! Open your eyes, please!”**

No… it was definitely not a slip of the tongue. He watched as Naho and the two students disappeared from his vision. What an enigma. Does he truly share the same name as Nagisa- _kun_? Or is that merely another name he throws around at people...

Perhaps he should ask rather than wonder… he _is_ a giant, yellow octopus. Though, if it’s too personal, he’s fine without knowing. One mustn’t pry into others’ affairs.

The image of those red eyes has yet to clear away. He hadn’t made himself known; his presence was well hidden, yet he was sensed. He recalled how quickly Naho had gotten to Aguri when she nearly triggered the trap… and how calm he seemed beside him despite being flinchy like when he returned from the hospital. Maybe it was an act?

Ah, there he goes wondering again. Naho truly is an enigma.

He shook his head and thought about something else. Like ice-cream. Mm… ice-cream… vanilla, chocolate, strawberry… Danish, Vietnamese, Italian- 

Korosensei stood, face blue.

-His gelato! He needs more gelato! He took off into the air. He needed more gelato, yes, but he also needed more grooming devices. He had a feeling tomorrow’s going to be an interesting day. Oh, he cannot wait! Karma-kun is going to sparkle when he’s through with him.

With a giggle, Korosensei broke through the air.

* * *

**The Next Day:**

“You think he’ll like it?”

“It’s Naho-sensei. He’ll like anything given to him by his students!”

Rio sighed into her arms, blue eyes staring gloomily at the gift held in Hara’s arms. It’s wrapped, much like Hara’s gift yesterday… but inside lied a light blue bunny plush. It’s the perfect description of a last-minute gift, and she hated herself for it. She could have gotten something better.

“Cheer up, Nakamura,” tried Hara, placing the neatly wrapped box on her desk, “He’ll love it, I’m sure!” She placed her hands on her shoulders. “After all, I got him a cookbook! Your gift is definitely better than mine by a million.”

She sighed again. “But at least he’ll put it to good use. What good is mine?” This is absolutely nerve racking… but the guilt that ate her up is worse. How could she say all that? How could she be so quick to judge? Naho-sensei was hospitalized and all she could say was how bad he was at being a teacher.

She’s a horrible person. Rio looked over toward the door as more of her classmates came in. Though, she perked up when Kayano and Nagisa walked in, both holding a gift of their own.

“What did you get?” Hara asked, taking a few steps forward. 

Kayano held out her gift bag and pulled out… a dreamcatcher. Rio stared at it in a bit of awe. The strings in the center of the circle tied together to form what looks like a tree, the feathers that hung were a pure white, and they had jewels that look like diamonds decorating them. She whistled, impressed, but then she sulked because it’s a better gift than a stupid bunny.

“A dreamcatcher,” Kayano proclaimed with pride, puffing out her chest. “He was talking about these things yesterday, so I went and bought one before coming here.” She looked at the dreamcatcher. “Neat, right? It’s supposed to be the Tree of Life.”

“That’s so cool!” Hara gushed, but then she paused. “I don’t remember him talking about dream catchers though…”

“That’s because it was at home, not here at school!”

“He went to your house?!”

“Well, yeah, my sister’s sick.”

Rio blocked out their conversation and focused on Nagisa, who looked like he didn’t want to intrude on the girls’ chit chat.

“What did you get, Nagisa-kun?” 

The boy in question jumped a little before turning to her. His cheeks turned a light pink as he held out the gift bag much like Kayano did. He then pulled out a palm-sized glass snake.

She stared at it, perplexed. “A Christmas ornament?”

His cheeks turned a dark red. “It’s...crystal. Obviously fake, but I thought it looked nice…”

“Huh. It does.” _Better than a bunny, dammit!_

“What about you?” he asked, taking her by surprise. She blinked, gulped, and laughed. After straightening up, she cleared her throat. 

“Oh, you know… just the average gift, ha...ha.”

He quirked a brow but left it at that. She’s thankful.

“I hope he likes them,” said Isogai, walking into the classroom. Noises of agreement followed.

“Though,” began Kayano, “I think what he needs is an apology rather than all these gifts…”

The guilty feeling grew stronger at that. Rio bit the inside of her cheek and returned to glaring holes at her stupid offering. _An apology…_ She’s awful at those…

“Who needs an apology?” Karma strolled in, the usual air of confidence surrounding him. What was odd was that Karma came in with a mini freezer. 

Rio waved in greeting, and that was it. She wanted to ask about the freezer, but she didn’t. 

Kayano answered his question.

“Naho-san. _Some people_ were rude to him so everyone has been getting him a gift as a silent form of apology. I think we need to apologize formally though.”

Karma stopped before Maehara’s desk, an odd look on his face. Then, he shrugged nonchalantly, as if he didn’t care about the situation, and went back to his seat. That’s when everyone else began to sit down in their respective seats to wait for homeroom to begin.

Rio picked up her box and placed it beside her feet. She swallowed anxiously and hoped for the best.

* * *

**Third Period:**

“Contrary to popular belief,” Naho-sensei spoke, voice loud, cheery, and somewhat annoying as he gave his lesson. He paced as he talked, a textbook in hand. 

He referred to it and the chalkboard every few often, but despite the pleasantness of his tone, Rio couldn’t find it in herself to focus because of how squeaky his voice sounded.

His nostrils were clipped shut by a clothing clip (which made him look even weirder because of his recent attraction to glasses) to block out the stink. Karma thought it was funny to place a dead squid on the desk earlier, to prank Korosensei in a disturbing way, and the smell hasn’t gone away yet.

The opened windows are helping though.

Another reason why she couldn’t focus… was that she couldn’t decide.”

Should she give him the gift with an apology? Just the gift with no apology? Just the apology with no gift? 

She clicked her pen every ten seconds rather than continuously, not wanting to bring attention to herself when she was having a mental crisis. She watched as Naho-sensei placed the book on the desk and began handing out some worksheets.

How normal of him.

But she supposed it was nice… having a normal teacher… especially with Korosensei and Karasuma-sensei practically preaching assassination.

A waste of time, yeah, since the bounty seemed much more interesting than a normal school education, but nice all the same.

She moved her foot, grazing the gift a little. Apology… or no? Deep down she knew what she needed to do, but actually acting on it? More difficult than it sounds. Her pride is swallowing her whole, and she worried about messing up worse than she already has.

Naho-sensei passed her her worksheet, smiling shyly as he did so. 

Why does he have to be so nice, dammit…

“You can work on these with a partner. It’s due at the end of class. If you have any questions, feel free to call me over,” he said to the class.

Rio sighed and, with her paper, moved seats so she could pair up with Karma. She’ll take care of the gift-thing later.

* * *

Rio did not take care of the gift thing later. By the time they reached lunch, Naho-sensei was nowhere to be found. He straight up disappeared. She wasn’t disappointed though, in fact, she was quite relieved. 

Her pounding heart could finally settle down and she could breathe easily. 

She envied Nagisa and Kayano though, because they offered their gifts at the end of social studies, Naho-sensei’s class. But can you blame her? Her gift was a stupid blue bunny. Who would want a stupid blue bunny?! Nobody!

What she did was hide the gift away in her locker and pretend it was never with her in the first place. It’s okay. She’ll apologize another day.

… when it was time to go home later in the day, she felt an uncomfortable churn in her stomach. 

Rio couldn’t tell if it was because Karma stormed off after his nth failed assassination, or because she shrunk back like a coward and refused to give Naho-sensei his gift.

Either way, the uncomfortable churning didn’t go away for the rest of the day.


	7. Odd Feeling

Naho sprinted when he received a text from Korosensei asking if he wanted something from _Costa Rica._

He ran through the forest and, with legs burning, navigated toward the cliff. If Korosensei was in Costa Rica, _who was with Karma and his counterpart?_

His face and arms were scratched by stray branches he failed to dodge - why the hell did he not talk to Karma?! Who knows what’ll happen!

His shoes dragged across the dirt as he sharply turned toward the clearing. Just up ahead was the cliff.

Something just doesn’t feel right.

He saw them. Karma and his counterpart - they were talking. Karma’s sitting on the tree that hangs on the very edge of the cliff. Naho took careful steps forward, hoping not to scare them. He gulped when he reached them, opening his mouth to alert them of his presence—

“...once he’s got his eye on you, you’ve got no chance to kill him,” Shiota finished speaking, his face twisted in a frown that held, not pity, but understanding.

Naho cleared his throat instead. Both boys turned to look at him. Naho inhaled shakily, which went unnoticed by them.

“Akabane-kun…” Red eyes darted to Karma. How should he tell him to get away from the edge without sounding so on, well, edge?

Karma lifted his eyes. There was a dullness to them that frightened the accidental time traveler.

“What are you doing here, sensei?” 

Shiota avoided Naho’s eyes, not saying a word. Karma scrutinized him, awaiting a response.

He couldn’t tell him “Oh, you know, just here to make sure you don’t jump off the cliff!” 

Naho released a sigh and relaxed his shoulders. He hasn’t realized he was tense in the first place. 

He forced himself to smile. “You seemed upset.”

Golden eyes narrowed slightly. “And what gave you that idea?”

Naho inhaled sharply. This isn’t working. He took a step forward, hand gesturing toward the currently endangered student.

Might as well be blunt. He just hoped it didn’t backfire. “You sitting on that unsafe-looking branch for one. Please back away from there.”

Karma didn’t. “Are you saying I’m suicidal?”

Shiota flinched and widened his azure eyes. Naho’s mouth went bone dry.

“N- no.” Karma wasn’t suicidal, but he would definitely try it out of spite! Hell, an assassination! But that wasn’t the point. “It’s just very unsafe. Please, Akabane...”

Something’s off about this.

“Karma-kun…” Shiota called, voice low and careful… “Maybe you should listen—“

“Why should I?” Karma stood on the branch. It wobbled. Naho’s heart almost stopped right then and there. “Teachers are all the same. They say one thing and mean the other!”

A cracking sound reached Naho’s ears. The hairs on his arms stood erect. “Akabane-kun—“

“They’re all dead to me. No point in respecting them if they won’t do the same—“

**_Snap!_ **

Naho flew across the cliff and managed to grab ahold of Karma’s wrist just as the tree gave out beneath him. He grunted loudly as the weight of another human being (most likely) dislocated his shoulder and dragged him off the edge.

He barely held on.

“Karma-kun! Naho-sensei!” Shiota screamed in utter terror and rushed to Naho, who was barely hanging onto what was left of the hanging tree; the roots.

Naho looked down - big mistake. The ground seemed so far away. If he let go… he’ll die! He wanted to close his eyes, but suddenly he met Karma’s frantic ones. 

Karma’s face was twisted in something akin to shock as he, too, looked down.

He could hear his own heart pounding. His throat was dryer than the desert… Naho bit his lip and attempted to pull Karma up. The pain was indescribable but definitely less painful than being impaled with a spear.

“N- Nagisa!” Naho grunted, “Grab him!”

He couldn’t see the boy, his eyes focused more on the tress down below, but he felt relief when he saw another hand from the corner of his eye. With all his strength, he pulled Karma up and Shiota got him away from the edge.

He panted once Karma’s weight was off him… but now it was his turn to make it to safety. He tasted iron, no doubt from how hard he was biting his lip, as he tried to lift himself up.

But the pulsing burn of his shoulder wouldn’t let him. If this continued, no doubt he’ll fall.

Hands gripped onto his good arm and a gasp escaped his lips. With little to no effort, he was pulled away from near death.

He fell to the ground, on his knees, with a grunt, his good hand gripping his injured shoulder. _Why is he getting hurt all the time as of late?_ He lifted his eyes in time to meet worried azure and gold.

“A- are you okay?!” Shiota’s voice became squeakier as he shouted. He was kneeling beside Naho, arms searching for any further injuries. 

Karma merely gaped at him, probably still shocked.

_In Naho’s timeline, Karma didn’t really care if he died or not._ The thought made Naho shudder. But what made Naho stiffen in a bit of fear was the fact that the tree fell…

Because that never happened in his timeline. That tree was supposed to hold up to three people in order to at least _quiver._

“-sensei? Naho-sensei?”

Naho looked at his counterpart. Shiota immediately darted his eyes downward, cheeks slightly reddening.

“You, uh, spaced out,” he mumbled.

The sight of his younger self had Naho smiling faintly. Such an insecure child he was… he only got a tad bit better as time passed on. With a shaky inhale, Naho stood up, startling the kids.

“Let’s go back, okay?” His voice was a little strained, but it was hard enough pretending not to be bothered by his shoulder.

The boys nodded and followed behind Naho, silently, as he walked back to the Old Campus.

After he dropped them off and sent them home, Naho went straight to the hospital.

Ao-Sensei wasn’t happy to see him once he arrived. All he could do was smile sheepishly.

* * *

“You… broke… your arm,” Aguri stated, face devoid of emotion. It scared Naho more than dogs did in his youth…

He stared at the stained napkin on the table rather than her face, and he did his best not to scratch the cast around his arm.

His shoulder was relocated at the hospital, but he found out, after the X-Ray, that his forearm was fractured. He insisted that a cast wasn’t necessary, but…

Ao-sensei wasn’t having any more of his shit. _His_ words, not Naho’s.

“You broke your arm,” she repeated, this time with a twitch in her eye.

Naho gulped.

Then Aguri smiled.

Naho internally cried. He’s doomed...

* * *

The sun began to set when Naho walked out of the bathroom. The steam followed him as he exited. His eyes, now blue instead of red, darted to the living room, seeing it empty.

“Aguri?” he called out, a bit worried. She won’t ever stop worrying him…

“In the kitchen!” Her voice boomed across his apartment.

He dried his hair with the towel around his neck while making his way to the kitchen. It felt awkward since he was using only one hand, but it’ll have to do. The chain around his neck got caught in the towel, but with his heart skipping a beat, he took care of it immediately.

He quickly shook it off and met with Aguri in the kitchen. “Something smells good.” He hummed, taking in the tasty aroma of food. “What’cha making?”

Aguri turned her head a little. She lifted up the cooking utensil. “Stir fry. Simple but delicious.” She then turned off the stove.

Naho stepped in to help. He started by taking the plates in one hand. His mouth was already watering as he served the food. Aguri may have a questionable fashion sense, a scary motherly personality, and an extreme dislike toward crooked picture frames… but she’s an amazing cook.

She could probably rival Karma! 

His hand stilled. 

With a smile, he continued with his actions. “Are you feeling any better? Last time I checked you could barely hold a conversation without sneezing.”

“Huh?” Aguri hummed. “Oh. Yeah, I’ve been taking medicine. I’ll be going tomorrow, I’m confident I won’t contaminate anyone…”

He rolled his eyes, playfully. “You overreact. A little sneeze isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

“Y- you don’t know that!”

He took both plates of food, though his left hand felt stiff as he did, and placed them on the table.

Without further conversation, both sat and began to eat. It was a good thing only his left arm got injured… if it was his right then he wouldn’t be able to eat comfortably. 

In the middle of their meal, though, Aguri spoke, almost in a whisper. “Do you mind if I stay over?”

His chopsticks were halfway to his mouth when she asked. He lowered them.

“Not at all. Is there a specific reason?”

She, too, lowered her chopsticks. She audibly swallowed and her eyes glazed over. He frowned in worry.

“I… don’t feel safe at home.”

He instantly got the message. “Have you seen him?”

Does he need to explain who “him” is?

Her jaw stiffened. “I don’t know. I just… have this _feeling_. I can’t explain it.”

Naho nodded, although hesitantly. “Stay over as long as you need.”

“Thank you.” She offered a small smile, frightened but genuine.

They resumed their meal.

“So… how are the boys?” 

Naho huffed. “They’re boys.” 

“One of them is your younger _self_.”

“Still. _Boys_.”

Both giggled after a moment of silence. They continued to talk about whatever came to mind. Naho caught Aguri up on what happened while she was out, and Aguri pouted and complained about missing Karma’s arrival.

Though Naho doubted she wanted to see Korosensei’s tentacle get squeezed off.

When they finished their meal, Aguri offered to clean up, and once everything was clean, they hung out in Naho’s room.

“It’s weird,” he began, twirling one of Aguri’s brown locks as they stared out the window, “I’m reliving this entire experience, yet, I’m not.”

She said nothing, just remained as she was.

“I’ve got so much to do… so much to do… will I have time?”

Then, she hummed. “I’ve known you for a year. I’ve seen how dedicated you are. Whatever you need to accomplish, I know you will.”

Naho sighed and leaned his head back, resting against the headboard of his bed. Aguri’s head was against his stomach, both of them on the bed, silently admiring the seemingly permanent crescent moon.

“You doubt yourself a lot,” she pointed out, “You should give yourself a break.” She laughed.

He could only offer a smile, fingers tangling further into her short locks.

This reminded him of his friendship with Kayano. They would hang out like this every few often while binge-watching shows on Netflix. _He missed her._

He ran his tongue across his bottom lip, picking up the faint taste of iron, and resisted the urge to play with the chain around his neck. Right now is not the time.

“Did you take your pain medication? The one for your arm?”

Naho hummed and shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Want me to bring it to you? I gotta take a shower anyway.”

He stared down at her, his azure eyes meeting her innocent, doe-like orbs.

Her eyes… were like Kayano’s. He could really see the resemblance.

“Yes please.”

She got up with a groan, her joints popping as she stretched. She gave a sheepish laugh before exiting his room in search of his medication.

Naho stayed alone, staring into nothing. It was like all thoughts vanished, and all that was left was a numbness that he wished would go away. He didn’t want it. 

Then, an odd sound caught his attention. It was coming from his window, or rather, outside his window. He furrowed his eyebrows and got up to take a look.

His forehead pressed against the cool glass, and his breath fogged it up. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but the sound was still there-

**_THUMP!_ **

Naho’s heart leaped out of his chest. “W- wha—“

His window was forced open and he backed away, hand reaching toward his thigh for a weapon that wasn’t there.

What the hell, what the hell, what-

“NAHO-SAN I’M SO SO SO SORRY!!”

Naho recognized the voice as Korosensei’s. Soon enough, Korosensei’s head popped into view. Naho couldn’t hold back his scream.

“I HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED FROM AGURI! I PROMISE NOT TO LEAVE YOU LIKE THAT AGAIN-“

He suddenly stopped shouting. Naho’s heart pounded against his chest as he waited for Korosensei to say something. Korosensei merely stared, and then…

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARM — YOU HAVE BLUE EYES?!?!”

Naho screamed once again.

* * *

Since his arrival to this timeline - this _world_ \- Naho tried not to think about his past and his losses. 

Despite having no real knowledge on just how he traveled through time and space, he took the situation head-on… after a few obstacles.

The past year was full of struggle and anguish, regrets and sorrow. There were many times where he screamed at the gods above, cursing them for putting him in this situation… other times he just stared at one thing for hours and hours until his mind shut itself off.

Not his proudest moment, if he’s being honest. 

He wanted to go back. He wanted - _wants_ to see the people he left behind. 

But the question remained...

It hissed at the back of his mind every time he was left to himself.

_Are they even alive?_

* * *

Once in a while, Naho would dream of the sky. He’d be embraced with a _calm_ that would linger even after his eyes opened to a brand new day.

In his dream the sky was the only thing he would see. It started from sunset and led to a moonrise. He’d feel a wonderful warmth that accompanied the fiery red sky as it transitioned to a pleasurable coolness that came with the tranquil dark blue.

After the stars twinkled awake and formed the zodiacs, Naho would drift away into the real world.

He couldn’t think of the meaning of the dream. All he knew and remembered was that he would sit on a rooftop, watch the sky, and play with the golden ring around his finger.

* * *

Aguri drove Naho to work today after finding out an interesting fact.

“Why the hell do you walk to work? Haven’t you tried taking the train?”

Naho shrugged. “I need my exercise.”

“You could just train with the kids.”

“Oh, no, no way. I don’t want to get in their way of education,” he said, a little too quickly, as he attempted to tame his hair with one hand. It was harder than it looked.

The roots were beginning to show his natural color. He’d need to re-dye his hair, or just the roots.

Aguri turned into the teacher parking lot and found a spot.

“I feel bad knowing that you walk all the way here.”

“It’s fine.” He did the finishing touches and smiled at her. “Really.”

She frowned, uncertain. “If you say so…” she didn’t seem to believe him. But that was fine, too.

Naho removed his seatbelt. “Let’s go. Korosensei said he wanted to do the apology-breakfast early… and discuss the color of my eyes.”

Her chocolate-dipped caramel eyes widened a bit before she huffed, cheeks dusted rosy pink. “That Koro, honestly… barging into your place like that…”

Naho chuckled, scratching the navy hairs of his nape. “Yeah, I was surprised.”

“More like terrified. I’ve never heard you scream so _loud._ ”

His face flushed. “I thought we agreed not to speak of that again!”

“Oh? Haha… oops.”

* * *

“Is this really necessary?” one irritated Karasuma asked, eye twitching. The party hat on his head had Korosensei’s face on it, and the actual Korosensei kept piling mini omelet rolls onto his plate.

Naho and Aguri giggled at the sight, but in their hearts lied pity for the government agent. He had arrived only minutes after Aguri and Naho, and just in time for the breakfast buffet prepared by the octopus.

Korosensei nurufu’ed and continued piling omelets. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so yes!”

“I… thing he’s intentionally pissing him off.”

The corner of Naho’s lip curled up in amusement. “You aren’t wrong.” He took a bite of his strawberry crêpe roll (everything was a roll), finding the taste obnoxious but still going through with eating it if only to calm the ache inside.

Then he took a sip of water.

Aguri made a sound of worry. “Hopefully Karasuma-san won’t get too mad…” she whispered, hunching her shoulders. 

Naho instantly felt bad for her. It must hurt knowing the man she undoubtedly caught feelings for is the target of every assassin, government agent, bounty hunter, et cetera. It must hurt more that he’s going to “die and take the world with him” by the end of this school year.

But Naho doesn’t want that to happen, doesn’t he? The question is—he took another bite of the crêpe—how is he going to change Korosensei’s fate?

His ruby red eyes darted toward the octopus, who dodged an anti-sensei knife wielded by Karasuma. He felt Aguri stiffen from beside him, causing his eyes to soften.

Naho would need to find something that would alter Korosensei’s cells, making them function how they did before the transformation. He’d need time… and plenty of assistance.

He could already think of a few knowledge-thirsty people who would just love to crack their heads open.

For now, though, he’ll focus on the present. He can think of the future when he’s got the people he needs at their full potential.

He cleared his throat. “No weapons on the table, Karasuma-san. Koro-san, please allow Karasuma-san to pick his own meal.”

Both of them looked his way, a visible pout on Korosensei and a look of exasperation mixed with gratitude from Karasuma.

Beside him, Aguri sighed. 

Oh, Aguri, it’s only going to get worse…

* * *

“You’re one interesting puzzle, Naho-san,” said Korosensei, now that they were alone. Aguri volunteered to teach first and second, and Karasuma was preparing his lesson plan for PE in another office. 

Naho huffed softly in exasperation because _what an understatement that was_. 

What was he going to do? He was aware Korosensei wanted to speak about who he is… but he didn’t think it would be this soon. What will he say? What can he say? He told Aguri who he was because she… well… he doesn’t exactly know why he told her… but it just felt right. He was able to lower his guard after a full year of getting to know her. 

Korosensei? Naho wanted to tell him everything, but how would he react? Whether Naho likes it or not, this wasn’t his teacher. Similar they are in appearance and fragments of his personality, but the reality of it is that he’s not the teacher he knew and loved.

Though his heart begs to differ… 

“I won’t ask about your past if it’s as ugly as mine.”

Naho flinched and his breath hitched.

“It’s clear that Yamada Naho is merely an alias…”

He swallowed thickly.

“...seeing as your name and face don’t match. I’ve done my research, Naho-san, and to put it simply, you don’t exist.”

Naho played with the foam of his seat, his palms damp with sweat. He should have thought of that, huh… but it’s not like he could walk in and say “So I’m a time traveler and I need a whole new identity from a birth certificate and so on…”

He avoided Korosensei’s stare, already feeling his body warm from the stress.

“Now, I must ask you a serious question, and you’re going to answer honestly.”

Naho’s heart practically stopped.

His throat tightened and breathing became increasingly difficult. Naho could turn into a puddle of goo any minute now.

“Are you a threat?”

_Huh?_

Everything slowed down. His heart, his breathing… The question bounced in his head, his thoughts surrounding it in order to make sense of it. _That’s it? That’s the question?_ Not a “who are you?” or anything similar?

His confusion must’ve been visible on his face because Korosensei suddenly chuckled, forcing Naho to place his attention on him.

“What did you think I was gonna ask?” He raised a tentacle and placed it on his head, petting his hair. Naho’s heart squeezed at the action, memories of his youth resurfacing.

Naho opened his mouth, only to close it again when no words escaped.

The tentacle in his head didn’t move, and Naho was grateful.

“A man’s past is a personal thing. Identity is part of it. You haven’t asked about my past, despite seeing me back then… therefore I won’t ask about yours. It’s only fair, right?”

It… made a little sense, he supposed. Naho lowered his eyes.

“I…” he started, softly, “I’m not a threat.”

Korosensei’s permanent grin widened. “Excellent.” He removed his tentacle, and Naho almost protested. 

“I admire your teaching ability and your personality. Now that I’m certain you aren’t a threat, you’re a-okay in my book.”

He stared at him for a long moment. This man… is one to admire. Despite him being mildly different compared to the Korosensei in Naho’s timeline, he’s still… Korosensei.

A small smile formed on his lips. He may as well get to know Korosensei more now that he’s here.

“Thanks.”

Korosensei chuckled. “No problem.” A platter with food appeared on his tentacles. “Second breakfast?”

… “Uh, sure.”

* * *

When Naho bumped into Karma twenty minutes after second breakfast, the boy made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with him, choosing to walk the opposite direction.

The behavior was unexpected, and he admits it hurt a little. But what could he do? He’s practically a stranger to him. Well, not really, but in this world, they weren’t friends. 

And in his world, Karma was his closest friend, along with Kayano. The three of them would cause all types of trouble, sometimes accidentally. It was nice. 

It wasn’t nice dealing with angry victims, but that’s why Karma was a bureaucrat. 

Regardless, if this tiny version of Karma was going to be avoiding him, there’s nothing he could do. Because he wasn’t his friend. Not this time.

* * *

Later in the day, one period before lunch, Naho received a text from his boss. It was… scary to look at. It didn’t say anything wrong, but receiving text messages from the Principal who practically gave Naho a nervous breakdown didn’t really do any good.

It was a favor. If he could make a quick stop to town and pick up a package. 

Apparently the Principal would be stuck in a meeting regarding an… expansion of the school and wouldn’t be able to pick it up himself. His son was taking care of things in the main campus and wouldn’t be able to do it either.

And since Naho was an all-subject teacher, just like every other teacher in Class E, he could do the favor.

Naho picked up on the bullshit halfway through, though.

Asano Gakuho was not a trusting man. He just wanted someone he knew was responsible to take care of the task. In a way, Naho felt a little proud. It also scared him a bit. 

But he did it nonetheless.

And guess who he ran into on the way there?

A blonde, respectable _bitch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took longer in publishing than usual, and for that, I apologize. 
> 
> On the bright side, things are looking pretty okay. Karma was saved in a... different manner than in the anime/manga, but things are bound to be different. After all, those who were supposed to die did not, and those who were supposed to change changed very little.
> 
> I can't wait to write the next chapter! Our favorite MILF is up and ready to cause some chaos. How will Naho deal with her, if at all?
> 
> Until next time :3


	8. Siderodromophobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems the world is plotting Naho's demise, how else would he explain his misfortune?

He expected to see her out and about eventually, just… not like this.

Naho was just passing the convenience store when a pair of big, thick arms grabbed him from behind. 

He had panicked because he was in no condition to defend himself. He cursed himself for his injured arm. He struggled to escape, losing his glasses, and searched for an opening to strike with his available hand and maybe kick… but it was in vain. 

The last thing he saw before being thrown in a black van was long, wavy blonde hair behind one of his kidnappers. 

Now Naho was fiddling with the strap of the sling holding his cast-enveloped arm to better secure it, which proved to be difficult with little to no lighting. Getting kidnapped was not on his agenda… and the only reason he wasn’t fully panicking was because Jelavić Irina was no doubt the one pulling the strings.

She may not be harmless right now considering her profession… but she doesn’t kill without doing her research first. Naho was probably needed for something bigger. Like a trap. 

Whoop-dee-doo. More excitement. 

The van stopped moving after what felt like half an hour. The van doors slid open with a loud clank, making the man wince. Light pooled into the van, forcing Naho to avert his eyes to avoid feeling irritation.

“Move it,” one of the kidnappers said, his face frozen into a sneer. 

His attitude had Naho raising his brow, but he made no move to protest. He had to be smart. He’s in the hands of people who do this for a living. Like it or not, his life is on the line… again.

He ducked his head and shifted forward. The men gripped onto his shoulders and forced him into the seemingly abandoned building. He recognized it but couldn’t remember from where… or in this case… when.

The next moment he’s chained to a pillar inside the building… and then his sight is taken away from him. The blindfold itched the skin of his eyelids, and he scrunched his nose to loosen it up.

It didn’t help.

Why was the blindfold needed? He already saw his kidnappers… and it’s not like he can “rat out” to the police. Naho can’t contact the police even if he wanted to… his lack of existence would no doubt put him behind bars. Then, what reason is there for the itchy, old-smelling blindfold?

“Good job, boys,” a flirty voice purred, in perfect English, a little distance away from where Naho was chained. Upon hearing the voice, Naho stiffened. It’s been so long… “Plan: A is complete, remind me to reward you later. I’ve got an octopus to find and deceive.”

“Anytime!” The three men exclaimed at the same time.

The only person he hasn’t seen is Irina… now the whole blindfold thing makes sense. If Naho was any other person, he wouldn’t recognize her if he bumped into her later on. He would clap but… he’s chained and his left arm is not doing so well at the moment.

Heels clicking reached his ears. One by one they made their way toward him. Closer and closer, louder and louder. Naho wasn’t afraid, but he knew he should be. After all, Irina could be ruthless and cruel. She stopped just beside him, and Naho lifted his head, slowly, in her general direction.

She pressed something against his cheek. Something round and thin. She caressed his face with them, small tingles shooting down his spine. He raised his brows once he recognized the item as his glasses. Did she pick them up? Okay, so cruel was definitely crossed off the list.

She then placed them on his lap. He couldn’t see her, but he could hear her walking away. 

Before she could disappear, he said, “Thank you.” And the clicking of her heels stopped. He felt her stare despite not seeing her, and he knew he was being scrutinized. Who says “thank you” to their kidnapper anyway? 

Naho hung his head and shifted so he could be more comfortable, and the clicking of her heels resumed.

“The two of you come with me,” she said in English, “And you,” she paused, “stay here and watch him.”

So one of the kidnappers was going to watch him. Okay, he could deal with that. It wasn’t long before the room, or wherever he was, was empty aside from him and one of the bulky guys. The silence was awkward until there was no more silence. The man just started watching something that sounded like a drama.

He sighed softly. He guessed there’s not much to do than listen to what the American drama has to offer.

That is until the sound of a train screeching on rails had him stiffening and his throat tightening.

* * *

Aguri knew something was wrong when Naho disappeared off the face of the earth. She searched for him endlessly. In the school, the mountain, the town… and lastly, his home. Not one sign of him. She had asked Koro and Karasuma-san, but they, too, had no clue as to the short teacher’s whereabouts. She tried his cell and received no response.

It was strange since Naho was not the kind of person to just vanish into thin air. Worry nestled into Aguri’s heart. Where could he have gone? She had even asked the other teachers of Kunugigaoka but to no avail. There was one person that Naho stayed in contact with some times, and that was their boss.

Principal Asano had no idea as to where Naho is.

That night, Aguri stayed on the phone with Koro, spilling out her worries just as she used to do when he was behind a thick, glass wall. “I’m worried, Reaper-san,” she mumbled, body curled on Naho’s bed, “I couldn’t find him and I couldn’t reach him via cell… what if something happened?”

Koro sighed from his side of the call. He also worried about the missing teacher, though he tried not to let it show. “I trust Naho-san to take care of himself… but at this point, I may as well join in on the search. Try not to fret, I’ll call you in the morning.”

Aguri tightened her grip on the phone, though a breath of relief slipped past her lips. “Thank you, and be careful. Something feels off…”

He chuckled, his voice sending pleasant chills up her spine. His voice sounded so nice now that it held more emotion. “Thank you for the heads up. Good night, Aguri.”

“Good night, Reaper-san.”

* * *

Korosensei hung up his cell and placed it in his pocket, and then he hummed unsurely. From what little he knows of his coworker, him disappearing is not something he would do. He stared up at the crescent-carved moon from where he sat on top of the campus, tentacles folded over his lap.

He inhaled deeply, searching for a specific scent. Once he caught a whiff of it, he flew off at Mach 20. Naho had a familiar scent, which is why it was easy to find, add in the obvious smell of hair dye and voilà.

He didn’t fly too close to where there were people, but not high enough to lose the scent. The scent led him to the old warehouse near the train station. Naho was undoubtedly inside… but why? Not that he’d judge… but who likes spending the entire day in a warehouse? Not… not that Korosensei does. He has morals.

He approached the rotten wood doors, noting it was slightly ajar. Carefully, he opened it, the door creating a creaking sound. The sound of snoring immediately reached his ears, making Korosensei tread silently. His beady eyes locked onto a buff, muscular man sleeping in a corner, his snores practically drowning out the sound of the trains which, too, assaulted his ears. No wonder the warehouse was abandoned, the trains made it difficult to hear one’s thoughts.

He shook his head and reminded himself why he was here. He needed to find his coworker.

And he did.

Tearing his eyes away from the dormant man and darting them to the far side of the room, he spotted Naho. Curled into a ball, chained to a pillar, shivering tremendously. The sight made Korosensei twitch and his tentacles darken. Slowly, with rage clouding his judgment, he turned back to the sleeping man. How dare he…

Choked breathing broke Korosensei of his thoughts and, once again, his eyes turned to Naho. He’ll deal with revenge later. He approached the man in captivity and immediately worked to free him of the chains, Naho didn’t make any move to look at him, just struggling to breathe on the ground.

What’s wrong with him?

“Naho-san,” he whispered, tentacle slightly shaking Naho’s shoulders now that the chains were undone, “Worry not, I’m here to save you.”

Naho didn’t respond, only shaking beyond control. Suddenly, the sound of a train coming to a screeching stop pierced his ears, and the man (who no doubt kidnapped Naho) snorted before mumbling and shimmying in his sleep. But that’s not what had Korosensei worried… no… it was the fact that Naho, upon hearing the piercing screech, cried out in fear, shaking even more violently and keeping his head low on the ground.

Realization drew on him. Without wasting another second, tentacles wrapped around his coworker and lifted him off the ground. Not forgetting to pick up Naho’s glasses, Korosensei, along with a petrified, semi-unconscious Naho, dashed out of there at the speed of sound.

* * *

Aguri didn’t utter a word, only ushering the octopus carrying her friend inside Naho’s apartment. Korosensei knew Aguri wanted to ask questions, judging by the furrow of her brows, but she spared any questions for now. She led them to Naho’s bedroom and Korosensei did the honor of laying the now fully-unconscious male on his bed.

They left him to rest and were now in the living room.

“What hap—”

“He was k—”

They stared at each other from across the coffee table in the center. Aguri’s doe-like brown eyes stared up at him owlishly, a glimmer of worry in them. He recalled the many times he’s seen them as such. Hiding emotions and feigning them. He remembers doubting her eyes, thinking that maybe, just maybe, the glass wall that once separated them gave her eyes that illusion.

It would seem that wasn’t the case.

Aguri sighed softly and forced a smile onto her fair complexion. “I’m sorry. What were you going to say?”

Korosensei’s permanent grin dulled a bit. “Don’t be sorry. You are not at fault.” He watched her carefully, noting the way her smile stiffened before allowing it to drop. “He was kidnapped. No doubt by people after my head…” 

Her eyes widened and her lips parted. She said not one word.

“I followed his, uh, scent…” his tentacles turned a little pink, feeling a tad bit embarrassed. It was a strange development, and he was not fully comfortable talking about it. “Which led me to a warehouse behind the train station.”

He heard her swallow. “Was he… hurt?”

“No.” He shook his head, crossing his tentacles over his chest. “Not physically, at least…” he hummed to himself, unsure if he should share his thoughts. Then again… Aguri was close to Naho. They seemed to be as close as siblings. Perhaps he should tell her.

Korosensei cleared his throat. “Something peculiar occurred during the rescue… and I believe it concerns Naho-san’s mental health.”

Aguri furrowed her brows further and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “What… what is it?”

He sighed and addressed her in the eye. “He seemed to be more afraid of the sound of the trains rather than his predicament. I… think he’s suffering from either phonophobia… or siderodromophobia.”

Her eyes widened a little. She pressed a knuckle to her lip. “Phonophobia… the fear of sound, and sidero… side…”

“Siderodromophobia: the fear of trains.”

* * *

Korosensei announced his leave half an hour ago, and all that was left in the apartment was a ghostly silence. She stood before Naho’s door, her bare feet planted on the cold planks. With a deep inhale, she slowly pushed it open.

Her eyes widened the moment she looked inside. Her lips moved before she could think.

“What are you doing up? Lie down, lie down!” She rushed toward her friend, frantically trying to push him down so he could rest. It’s been a bad day for him, he shouldn’t be up!

But the man shook his head, his navy hairs shifting as he did so. Swallowing her defeat, she sat down by the edge of the bed and leaned toward the nightstand, reaching toward the lamp to turn it on.

Naho sighed heavily and leaned his head back, making contact with the headboard. “What time is it?” he asked, voice hoarse.

She stared at him, her chocolate-dipped, caramel eyes taking in his appearance. His face was smeared with dirt, as were his clothing. His navy locks tangled as they framed his face, which was pale. His azure eyes (his contacts had been removed) were surrounded by a red hue, indicating that he’d been crying. The thought broke her heart. Naho only cried when he was truly in pain.

She clenched her hand into a weak fist. “It’s late,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

He didn’t respond. Hell, he didn’t even look her way, choosing to keep his eyes planted onto his lap. Or… that’s what she assumed. Curiosity got the better of her, though, and her own eyes traveled toward his focal point. 

She immediately caught the glimmer of the golden ring in his hand.

Her lips parted, a silent oh escaped. 

“I heard you talking,” he said, gaining her attention once more, “with Korosensei.”

Her lips curled down. “I...see.”

A bitter laugh tore through his throat. The sound was foreign to Aguri’s ears.

“He’s right, you know. He’s perceptive, pays attention to every little detail… that’s one of the things I admire about him.” Naho closed his eyes. “I didn’t want you to know… because it’s personal. My… uncontrollable fear of trains.”

She perked up. “You don’t have to say anything. I understand.” She does. She really does. Though her fear is directed to one person only. Her fiancé, which she hadn’t seen since he last beat her… but could _feel_ just about anywhere except here.

His eyes opened. They landed on her moments before going back to the ring, which he then placed on his finger. In her eyes, the ring looked right where it belonged. Why hasn't she seen him wearing it before?

“I’ll tell you one day. I promise.”

She smiled and cupped his cheek, making him jump a little. “When you’re ready.”

He could only nod.

* * *

The next day Naho insisted on going to work, which went against Aguri’s wishes. But, he argued, he still needed to pick up a package and deliver it to his boss. Then, Aguri insisted on driving him wherever he so desired.

After picking up the package and making sure that it was Asano Gakuho’s, Aguri drove and parked in her spot in the school lot. Naho told her he’d meet her on the mountain and, although she was hesitant, went their separate ways.

It was still quite early, which meant there were barely any students around as he made his way to his boss’ office. As he walked, he bumped into Asano Gakushu, one of the students in the main building he wouldn’t mind talking about random shit with.

The boy greeted him with a nod and narrowed eyes at his cast and sling, which Naho smiled at. “Is your father in?” he asked, although he already knew the answer. Asano scoffed discretely and began to walk alongside him, not paying attention to the package in his good hand.

“When is he not?” he retorted under his breath, loud enough for Naho’s ears.

Naho’s reply was a soft chuckle, their steps echoed in the almost-empty hallway. 

“You’re going to the principal's office too?”

“Library.”

“Ah, I see. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. Although, judging from your cast, I’m assuming you haven’t?” He gestured toward said cast.

Naho hummed, confirming. “It’s merely a fracture. It should heal in no time. Can’t wait to be able to take it off though. It’s unbearable.”

“Your recklessness will be your undoing. Watch yourself.”

The teacher frowned, though it resembled a pout. “You are not my guardian.”

Asano blinked. “Really? I was under the impression that I was.”

Naho clicked his tongue and began walking faster. “Now you’re just messing with me.” Asano coughed, but Naho knew he was trying to cover up a laugh. Honestly, this kid… “I’ve got to go. Perhaps we can catch up at a later date?” he looked over his shoulder, meeting violet eyes. 

Asano’s face remained unchanged. “I’ll have to make space in my schedule.”

He nodded and disappeared around the corner. “Email me!”

He turned another corner and successfully made it to the office. He knocked, and not a second later, a muffled “come in” was heard. He entered with a smile on his face, though by then it was a little stiff.

“I brought the package…”

“A day late.”

Damn, it seemed he wasn’t going to get away with it. Gakuho motioned for him to come closer, and he did. He tried not to seem nervous as he placed the box in the desk, but there was so much he could do with the hell that’s been unraveling around him lately.

Gakuho didn’t so much as glance at the box, choosing to keep his eyes on Naho, who was already sweating buckets.

“If you would be so kind as to explain why Class E’s homeroom teacher and target messaged me yesterday regarding your whereabouts and the reason why my package arrived a day late.”

Naho’s lips parted, then sealed when he had no short and sweet answer. He tapped the tip of his foot on the tile beneath his feet, and his one good hand fiddled with his keys in his pocket. How could he explain that he was kidnapped without it sounding so… fake? Would that even be a good enough reason? Considering what’s happening on the mountain...

He bit the inside of his cheek. 

“Well?” Gakuho crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, violet eyes refusing to leave Naho’s.

He gulped and then cleared his throat. “Does… uh… getting kidnapped count as a good reason?”

“...”

“...”

… “What?”

Ah, there it is again, the look of complete bafflement. If this were other circumstances, Naho would have laughed his ass off. 

Suddenly, the principal stood, causing Naho to nearly shit himself. But he didn’t really do anything right then, merely stared at Naho before sighing, which was an accomplishment in and of itself.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a series of knocks interrupted him. Both males remained silent for half a minute, allowing the knocking to grow more vicious.

Until Gakuho released another sigh and said, “Come in.”

And in came Jelavić Irina. 

Naho bit on his tongue and kept a passive face. Gakuho’s lips curled into a kind smile, which seemed more threatening than kind.

Her blue eyes swept over the office. They landed on Naho for a brief second. It took only one second for him to feel her bloodlust in all of its glory. He can’t exactly blame her… he was supposed to be chained in the warehouse, ready to be used at her disposal. Yet here he was. Normal and safe.

After she finished scrutinizing him and murdering him in her head, she grinned like a little kid, her eyes leaving Naho and darting toward the principal. “Today’s my first day! Can you direct me to Class E? I tried finding it on my own but ended up getting lost…”

Gakuho’s expression never wavered. “Ah, Ms. Jelavić, I seem to have forgotten to tell you.” Judging by his tone, he didn’t forget at all. “E Class is on a separate campus. I’m sure you saw the mountain on your way here?”

Irina’s lips twitched. “Is that so? How unfortunate…”

Gakuho turned to Naho. He seemed to hesitate before asking, “Will you show Ms. Jelavić where she must go?”

Naho didn’t need to think about it. He was heading there anyway. “S- sure. I don’t mind.” He turned to his new coworker with a smile. “If you would please follow me…”

* * *

“Huh, this makes sense,” said Irina as they made it up the mountain at a steady pace. They were early anyway.

Naho looked at her, tilting his head. “What does?”

She met his stare. “I wasn’t told where E Class was located. Had E Class been located within the building, the assassination wouldn’t make much sense.”

It clicked. An awkward laugh escaped his lips. “Yeah, it really wouldn’t. Nobody aside from E Class teachers and students is allowed here, so the mountain is pretty much secluded. It’s perfect for assassination.”

“...”

The silence stretched between them as they drew closer and closer to the old campus. Once they neared the top, Irina spoke.

“You recognized me.”

It was subtle, but Naho felt the faint traces of bloodlust like a million little spiders crawled over his skin. It would seem that acting was not his forte.

His eyes softened and his lips formed a sad smile. No… he really wasn’t good at acting. Not in front of them. Aguri, Korosensei, Karasuma… now Irina… 

He never was.

“I’m fluent in English,” he said in the mentioned language, not a single trace of a Japanese accent. “I found your voice familiar.” Technically it wasn’t a lie.

She nodded, accepting his reason. “Don’t get in my way and I won’t get in yours. Deal?”

Laughter erupted from him. The kind of laughter that held no humor. His voice became icy, “I wasn’t planning to anyway.”

He would not soak his hands in blood again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAH! I LOVE ASSASSIN-MODE IRINA! She's just bae <3 Anyway, Naho's general avoidance of trains is poked at in this chapter and the previous one, I plan on explaining it more thoroughly in the future, so don't worry! 
> 
> Also,
> 
> Has anybody wondered about the ring yet? If you haven't, then oops! 
> 
> My bad xD
> 
> I'd love to hear your theories though... ;)


	9. Helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't until the past repeated itself that Naho's eyes were pried open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bishōnen is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth" and describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man of androgynous beauty. (Found on Wikipedia)

The moment Irina called Nagisa over during P.E. was the moment Naho turned around and said, “Nope.” while taking a long, noisy sip of the disgusting bitter coffee Korosensei made. Aguri gave Naho a long stare because that was _her_ coffee he just stole and took a sip out of.

She said nothing, only huffing in mild irritation since she was really looking forward to drinking it. Naho walked away from where they were supervising the children, waiting for Korosensei or Karasuma to return. Korosensei being in another country buying _tea_ for that _woman_. She’s not jealous. Just irritated. 

Ever since that woman arrived.

Aguri continued to supervise, watching as Irina placed her hands on Nagisa’s shoulders and—

Her eyes widened and her soul left her body. 

SHE’S MAKING OUT WITH NAHO’S COUNTERPART?!

She immediately felt light-headed. A grown woman SLOBBERING on a child! Her throat tightened and, without continuing the scene, she rushed outside. Unforgivable! It’s just not right! Did Naho really go through this? She shook her head and made it outside.

She ran into that… that woman! Said woman gave her an unimpressed look, though her brow was up. Aguri tried her best not to snap, even though she wouldn’t mind-blowing off a few obscenities.

“Need anything?” said the woman, her blue eyes glinting dangerously.

Aguri inhaled deeply. “They’re children,” she seethed. Irina furrowed her eyebrows. “You can’t just go around harassing them!”

The bulky men behind her backed away slightly, apparently intimidated by a possible girl fight. Irina didn’t comment right away, staring at Aguri for a while before her glossed lips curled into a smile, which then turned into a grin.

“The way I work may not suit everyone, but just because someone else doesn’t like it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop,” she practically purred, pushing her hair over her shoulder while looking down on Aguri.

Her face flushed in a mixture of anger and shame, her fists clenching tightly at her sides. She almost reeled one back, but a soft touch at her hand had her relaxing instantly. She turned her head, meeting Naho’s artificial red eyes. She swallowed down her anger and avoided the woman’s eyes, worried that she might get into something she may not be able to walk out of.

Naho left her eyes to meet Irina’s, a smile appeared on his lips. Small, harmless… but then he narrowed his eyes, and the room turned cold in an instant. Even Irina widened her eyes, taking a step back.

“I understand that assassins have their own way of doing things,” he began, voice cold. Was this really Naho? He took one step forward. “But even assassins know when things are morally wrong. What Aguri said is not wrong, you know that, so please heed with caution, Jelavić- _neesan_.”

Irina looked ready to retort, but Naho beat her to it. “Don’t underestimate us simply because we’re civilians. Who knows what we’re capable of.”

There was a threat in his words. Aguri couldn’t help but gape at him.

Irina huffed, muttering a “whatever” before shuffling right passed them. The men outside had long since retreated to prepare for whatever it was Irina told them.

After a moment of stunned silence, an obnoxious slurping interrupted the tense atmosphere. Aguri could only look at Naho in disbelief as he gulped down _her_ coffee.

Naho eventually notices her stare and turns to her, one eyebrow raised, coffee mug against his lips.

“...” Aguri shakes her head and throws her hands up in defeat.

* * *

**The Next Day:**

Naho scratched his cheek with his finger as he read from the textbook. “This is wrong. What the hell is this?” He heard the students make sounds of surprise, but he paid them no mind. His mind was focused on that one paragraph in the social studies textbook that’s completely wrong.

He was insulted because this is Kunugigaoka. There are no mistakes when it comes to the lessons, except how those lessons are taught.

He lifted his eyes, immediately making eye contact with the students at the front. Isogai tilted his head.

“Is something wrong, Sensei?”

Naho sighed, throwing the textbook aside. “Yes. The entire section is wrong. I can’t believe this.” This never happened before. If Gakuho finds out, he’s going to flip.

“Um!” Kurahashi raised her hand, Naho nodded at her. “I don’t see anything wrong, sir. I’ve done research on this subject before, and it’s entirely accurate.”

Naho raised a brow. “I believe you. That doesn’t mean the information is right.” He picked up the textbook and flipped to the page he was on before. “If you look closely, you’ll notice that the choice of words is different from the old textbook. Changing the words changes the meaning. It’s subtle, but it’s there nonetheless.”

“Son of a bitch,” Karma muttered, however, the whole class heard. The boy was skimming through the section, eyes narrowed. Then, he looked up. “You’re right.”

“Changing the meaning of the words will make you interpret the information differently,” Naho pressed on, lowering the textbook once more and then pressing a knuckle to his lip. “Had I not noticed, you would have had some trouble with the exams.”

The class began to murmur amongst themselves.

Naho snapped his fingers. The class quieted down. “Right. I’m going to inform the principal about this, in the meantime—”

“I don’t think that’ll help. The most he can do is say he’ll deal with the issue and not really do anything.”

Naho widened his eyes at Kataoka.

He opened his mouth to correct her but wisely kept his words to himself. He understands her. He understands all of them. The grim looks that flash on their faces… he understands. He was them. Literally. But he learned that education is the principal’s top priority. He may suck at being a principal, and he may suck at being a person… but he doesn’t suck at being a teacher.

Naho chuckles instead, earning a few stares. “Asano-san may be… a complicated person—”

Karma snorted.

Terasaka spoke, “Understatement of the century.”

Naho shot them a look. “He wouldn’t screw you guys over like this.” Extra lessons behind their backs and university-style exams are one thing, but false information is another. “It’s too petty, even for him.” 

Now _that_ earned him some incredulous stares, because wow, a teacher calling his boss petty? Especially Asano Gakuho. Just wow.

He’d never say that to his boss’ face though. He’s not ready for death.

Karma actually cracked a laugh, to the point where he was clutching his sides. Naho smiled fondly. Gosh, he really missed his friends. He straightened his back, healthy hand on his hip. 

“Now, I expect my betrayal to stay among us. No snitching, that’s what class loyalty is all about—”

The doors slid open with a loud bang, making Naho and everyone else flinch. “You! Shorty! Bishōnen! Trap! Effeminate male!” Irina kept pointing at Naho as she spoke.

Naho turned his head slowly. “B- bishōnen?”

At this point, the class was quiet, except for certain students at the back of the class sniggering. Naho ignored them.

Irina huffed and crossed her arms. “What? I don’t remember your name. Can’t I call you by your physical characteristics?”

He paused. Then, he smiled. “Of course, Bitch-neesan.”

She gasped dramatically, hand on her chest. “How dare you!”

Naho tilted his head, batting his eyelashes innocently. From the corner of his eye, Kurahashi covered her face. 

“But… I was calling you by your amazing traits… just as you called me by my amazing traits…”

Irina was visibly shaking, face reddening from anger. Naho somehow already knew the kind of torture he was going to be subjected to once he was alone… but the amusement didn’t falter. He missed calling her a bitch. It was her pet name decided by the class. He couldn’t wait until she warmed up to everyone here.

He turned to the class with an innocent smile on his face. “I will be back. You can make this a study hall in the meantime.”

He barely made it outside the class when Nakamura snorted loudly and began laughing uncontrollably, everyone else following her lead. He closed the sliding doors and finally took Irina seriously.

It took her a moment to retaliate though. “Once I kill the octopus, you’re next.”

Naho’s lip twitched. “Of course.” Then, he addressed her straight on. “What did you need?”

She clicked her tongue and exhaled, now taking him seriously. “What can you tell me about the octopus?”

He raised a brow.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been asking. You’re the last resort.”

He sighed. “Charming.” He placed his hand on his hip. “I don’t pay attention to the assassination, nor do I participate in it. I wouldn’t be much help.”

Her icy gaze stuck to him. “But you could.”

She wasn’t going to give up. Naho wanted to curl into a ball and hideaway for a day. He gave in… “Let’s see… wicked sense of smell, attractive women, sweets that induce diabetes…”

Irina frowned but allowed him to continue. He wanted to scratch above the surface, not wanting to reveal too much, yet not wanting to reveal too little. For someone who “doesn’t pay attention to assassination nor participate in it” he needed to play his cards carefully.

His eyes widened suddenly. He snapped his fingers. “He has trouble avoiding attacks when he’s flustered or disoriented.” With this one weakness out of the way, he knew Irina wouldn’t come fishing for more.

She nodded mutely before turning on her heel and leaving for whatever she had planned. Naho was only glad he didn’t have to speak further on the subject. Ridding himself of those thoughts, Naho pulled out his phone and clicked on the most feared number.

May as well alert his boss of the textbook dilemma.

* * *

It was the students’ P.E. period when he heard the firing of the arsenal. He almost felt sorry for knowing what was to come next and not doing anything to help. In a way, this was his revenge for the kidnapping incident.

Now, Naho is not a bad person, mind you, but when he goes through shit and is then thrown into more shit, he does not stay down. As he expected, he heard Irina’s screech, followed by lewd noises.

He coughed a little from where he sat, watching as the students gawked at the shed. It brought him satisfaction having received revenge… but relief at knowing nothing serious is going on in there. He had had a little chat with Korosensei that morning… about the importance of respect toward others’ boundaries. Not that he doubted Korosensei… but… he noticed that… while this Korosensei and _his_ Korosensei were similar, there was also a bit of difference. 

And he didn’t want to risk it.

There were many differences in general… not all just focusing on Korosensei.

The image of the tree giving out beneath Karma’s feet flashed through his mind, making him grip his little notebook with the cute sticker (a gift from the delinquent in question) a little tighter than he would have liked. He recalled how he nearly didn’t make it in time. How… despite how much he tried, he could not pull him up to ensure his safety.

Had his counterpart not been there…

Naho thinned his lips. He refused to dwell on the thought further.

A small group decides to investigate, choosing to find out what happened instead of sparing their juvenile minds. 

Ah, children. 

His eyes glimmered from nostalgia.

The rest of the day was filled with endless torment on Irina’s part, and he noticed that Aguri was a little too pleased. He wouldn’t put it past her, though. Her heart, made of gold, feeds off the misery of those who have forsaken her cause. He’s sure, however, that she will warm up to Irina later on, after all, they both share a common goal.

To protect. 

Whether it is to protect themselves or those dear to them. They will get along. He can already see it.

Nearing the end of the day, Irina apologized for the commotion and for the things she said that wounded them.

Naho offered to teach the final class of the day, and was just about to dismiss class and go home when-

The doors slid open with a loud bang.

Naho held back a wince. His ears…

Irina had her eyes narrowed in a calculated gaze. The atmosphere in the class thickened. The students eyed the two adults wearily as the adults themselves eyed each other.

They observed the other, scrutinizing, _uncovering_ every speck of dirt found on their person.

Naho held himself, posture confident and lacking fear. Irina held herself just as she always did, modeling her body as her eyes did all the talking. This is a mission, Naho had realized, _a mission for one of the top honey pot assassins in the world._

The realization scared him. What is she going to do?

His question was answered not a minute later. Irina sauntered inside, successfully gaining every pair of eyes, and stopped just barely outside of Naho’s personal bubble.

“Irina,” he greeted, intentionally omitting an honorific.

She nodded, eyes shimmering in approval. “Naho.” The way she said his ‘name’ caused his own eyes to narrow. _Just what is she up to—_

He barely registered her fists burying themselves into his shirt, clutching him and _pulling him close to her face._ When he did, it was far too late.

Her lips captured his own, stealing away his soul that very instant. Chairs screeching and voices booming reached his ears a second after, and he could already make out the sounds of camera phones shuttering. Quickly, he placed his available hand behind her neck and pulled her away.

Once she was no longer on him, he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, cheeks reddening in shame. An awkward silence filled the room and, when he deemed it safe to do so, shyly met Irina’s eyes.

There was recognition within them. Her lips remained sealed for a moment longer… until they parted and allowed a faint whisper, “I _knew_ it,” to escape.

Those three little words worsened his flustered state, his face burning as if they had succumbed to a fever. The woman nodded, turned around, and left. Naho was left standing there like an idiot.

The students exclaimed and attempted to tease him, but he could only remain helpless. A discomforting tingle remained on his lips, yet at the same time, it reminded him of what he was forced to leave behind when he first opened his eyes upon entering this world.

His eyes were forced open.

Yet there was nothing he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than usual, though that's because I found there was nothing more to add? At least, more to add that'll aid in the plot.
> 
> Regardless, here's another chappy.


	10. What is Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naho hints towards bad things in the future. He helps out the kids. He hides from Irina. Okajima and Maehara turn into Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

Karasuma lifted his eyes from the magazine and trained them on the three people before him. Yukimura huddled beside Naho and so did Irina. They had their faces deep into a fashion magazine he had bought by accident. 

He recalled how it was snatched away greedily by Irina before he even had the chance to properly look at it, and shortly after, Yukimura and Naho were dragged down with her to view it.

Naho’s face was dark with gloom, though, which caused Karasuma to furrow his eyebrows. What happened to cause Naho to give Irina the stink eye?

Naho got along with pretty much anyone. Good and bad. Karasuma stopped wondering after a minute. Whatever was going on was not his business. So long as it didn’t interfere with the mission.

It wasn’t long before the octopus entered the lounge, or office (as he preferred), as well. He wanted to bury his nose into the magazine too, but Irina immediately told him to beat it.

He had nothing to say to that, so he returned to his very own magazine.

“Ah, Karasuma-san,” Naho called out, suddenly. The man excused himself from the two women and sat beside him. “I have a favor to ask.”

There was no change in expression, but Karasuma did feel curiosity at what this favor was. “What is it?”

Naho shifted his mouth, as if he were biting his inner cheek. “Do you think that, maybe, you could up the kids’ training?”

Karasuma lowered his brows. Up the training?

As if sensing his thoughts, Naho backed away, face flushing as if scandalized. “Not right now, obviously! But, uh, in the following days. You know, like self defense and what to do in dangerous situations such as kidnapping…”

Karasuma merely stared. Though, another voice spoke up. 

“Naho-san,” it was the octopus, sounding worried. 

One good look at the women and Karasuma saw a frown on Yukimura and an awfully guilty expression on Irina.

Naho smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “A- ah, well, you see… I’m kinda worried, you know? Been having bad feelings for a while, ever since the, uh… you know.”

But Karasuma didn’t. Though it seemed everyone else did, at least, among the faculty. Karasuma put away his magazine to properly address his co-worker.

“I’ve been squeezing in what I could with the schedule. If I add any more, then it will take up time for the next class.” He had been thinking about upping their training too, but the schedule is restricting him. One class period, in his opinion, is enough for the basics, but insufficient for proper assassination.

Naho nodded, as if he had been thinking the same thing. “I was thinking about after school hours. Maybe two or three hours of training. No more than three though, we don’t wanna kill them.”

That would be a fair deal, however… “The students need to be made aware of this.”

Another nod. “They have to consent to it as well. It’s no fun doing things because you’re told to do it. If they’re motivated to improve, then they will agree. Perhaps you can bring light into this to them?”

Karasuma grunted in affirmation. “I’ll see to it later on, then.”

Naho grinned.

* * *

“Oh, Naho~!” Irina sang, “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

Naho hid behind the bushes, his complexion pale. He was alone, with no backup to call for. The students had their monthly assembly that day, and were making their way to the main campus.

Irina cornered him before he could join them.

Naho, in turn, hid. He avoided her as if she were the plague. The worst part? She didn’t mind. Even worse? She actually liked tormenting him.

He shivered as the memory of her lips on his came to mind. The look of recognition in her eyes… He hated seeing it, because it proved just how incompetent he really was. 

He tried not to pay it any mind, really, he did, but the hollowness in his chest… and most importantly, the guilt… it made it hard for him to pretend he’s of this world.

He wanted to rage. To scream. To tell this world he wanted to go back to his own.

But he knew no-one would listen.

No-one who had the power to send him back, that is.

But, Naho reminds himself, he is needed in this world.

“Found you!”

Naho screeched the moment Irina’s hands caged him. He stiffened at the dangerous glint in her eyes. Sweat dribbled down his forehead, and he swallowed down his nerves.

“You,” she pointed at him, “and me,” she pointed at himself, “are going to have a nice, little talk. M’kay?”

What more does she want?!

Naho was dragged by his collar by his coworker. Is this revenge for standing up to her? For calling her a bitch even though she is?

Naho cried crocodile tears.

* * *

Naho walked alongside Irina as they entered the gymnasium. On the far side, he saw Karasuma and Aguri. He nodded at them in greeting. Their late entry caught the attention of most of the student body. The attention caused his stomach to churn, but he hid his discomfort, choosing to clutch onto his folder with a determined look in his eyes.

Then the whispers came. But they were mostly admiration and exclaims of disbelief at Irina. He was glad she stood out seeing as she’s a foreigner.

Irina made it to Karasuma’s side after throwing a wink in Aguri’s direction. The woman in question sighed.

Naho, on the other hand, made it to Isogai, who was holding back a grimace. The rest of E Class as well. It seemed he made it in time. His eyes swept over the rest of the students (their sneering faces caught his gaze) whom all clutched onto this month’s handouts.

“Isogai-kun,” he called out. The boy turned his head to him, eyes narrowed in confusion. Naho said nothing else aside from handing him the folder.

Isogai gaped when he opened it. “Is this-”

Naho bared his teeth in a grin. “Please take one and pass it on.”

The glimmer in Isogai’s eyes made his heart flutter. Being a teacher was sure worth getting an earful from the principal later on. 

Maybe he should have allowed Korosensei to meddle this time around, just as he did in Naho’s world, but he felt it was necessary. He watched as Isogai grabbed one of the handouts in the folder and passed it back, and then respectfully alerted the current speaker (Araki, was it? Names were a hassle when it came to people he hardly interacts with…) of his possession of handouts and to continue speaking.

Needless to say, the speaker (pretty sure it’s Araki) was flabbergasted, even blurting out, “Hey, who killed our fun? Uh, I mean-”

Naho breathed out a chuckle before moving to stand beside Aguri. “Kids these days, am I right?”

Aguri leaned against him, and he admits her weight threw him off balance. He didn’t let her know that and simply allowed her to do as she pleased.

It wasn’t long before Korosensei arrived and Irina suddenly found motivation to kill.

 _Some things never change_ , he mused.

* * *

Once the assembly was over, Kayano (as she prefers to be called as of late) approached him, a small frown marred her features. A frown of his own appeared on his face, since he loathed when his friends (students- not friends!) were troubled.

“Naho-sensei,” she whispered, walking beside him as they walked in the direction of the mountain, “I… think i’m ready to… you know.”

He stared. He felt shame burning his cheeks when it took him a second too late to realize what she meant.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll talk to Koro-san. You make sure you’re stress-free in the meantime.”

The smile she gave him calmed him a lot. She then took off with Fuwa and Hara, who were walking a little ahead of them. 

He noticed how both Aguri and Kayano shared the same smile. It warmed his heart as well as hurt it.

Naho dismissed the thought. He bit the inside of his cheek and wondered how he was going to tell Korosensei.

He looked over his shoulder before coming to a complete stop. 

_Ah, he remembers this._ His counterpart just finished off scaring his two bullies, while Karasuma and Co. watched in shock. Looking back on it, Naho realized it was him defending himself that led to some monstruos exams.

Looking back on it now, he could not find it in himself to feel guilty.

This is where he started to find himself.

It’s a memory he cherishes, and he hopes his counterpart does too in the future.

He accidentally makes eye contact with Karasuma. Naho shrugged, nodded, and continued his trip.

* * *

“So, there’s an issue that needs fixing but you need to promise not to be outwardly mad.”

Korosensei blinked. He didn’t blame him. But he couldn’t wait until another day. Kayano wouldn’t have asked him for help, although it was subtle, if she wasn’t sure she could wait any longer. He waited until everyone, sans Kayano, Aguri, and Korosensei, left for him to corner the octopus.

Naho crossed his arms, leaning back in his office chair. “You can be mad on the inside, just don’t turn pitch black.”

Korosensei scratched his head with a tentacle. “I’m slightly worried. What could be so bad that’ll make me furious-”

“Kayano has tentacles-”

“ _WHAT?!_ ”

“-and she wants to get rid of them.” Naho darted his eyes to his feet, not wanting to see Korosensei’s expression. Korosensei made no sound, did not reply, the silence stretched on and he found it difficult to breathe.

“She’s in control. She told me she’s ready to remove them. Only you can remove them.” Naho bowed. “I’m aware you’re wondering how and why, but please, ask later on. For now, Kayano needs your help…”

Naho flinched when something smacked against his head. He realized Korosensei had smacked him with a ruler. Naho straightened his posture, finally lifting his eyes.

He was right. Korosensei is pissed off. His tentacles did not need to change color for him to know.

“I will comply,” said Korosensei, “You will explain more in detail later.”

He nodded. When Korosensei exited the office, the only company Naho had was himself. He rubbed the area assaulted by Korosensei’s ruler with a pout present on his face, a tight feeling in his chest and a bitter taste on his tongue. He did not like it.

It felt as if he was scolded.

He reminded himself, _this world is not the same. Stop comparing them._

Naho pulled out his phone and sent Kayano a text. _Koro-san is on his way. Beware his temper._

* * *

Aguri sat beside him as they waited for Korosensei to finish up with Kayano. Naho noticed Aguri’s anxiousness and tried his best to distract her by telling her more about his timeline. Bits and pieces that he left out before because they were not important in that moment.

Now they serve as a nice distraction.

“Shameless he is, that Korosensei. Yet, at the same time he was so full of shame. There was no in-between. It was either one or the other. One time, he ogled at Irina by elegantly drinking tea. Another, he rendered himself vulnerable to attack because he was caught by us reading a pornographic magazine.”

The red painting Aguri’s cheeks caused him to chuckle.

“I… am not surprised… and that worries me.” Aguri held her face in her hand. Her legs were crossed and they laid on Naho’s lap. They sat outside, back against the campus wall, facing the uneven, grassy, unkempt future-training grounds.

Naho sighed. “He didn’t actually do anything, but it was still… odd for a teacher.”

“Unprofessional many would say.”

“Yes, but that’s what made Korosensei Korosensei. Did I tell you about my first assassination attempt? It was pretty stupid, and I’m glad it didn’t happen this time around, which is weird… that it didn’t happen, I mean.”

Aguri hummed.

Naho straightened up, hands clasped together over Aguri’s legs. The sling made it awkward but it worked out fine. “Okay, okay, so, I was a hopeless child back then. Truly hopeless. I had a hard time saying “no” too. Anyway, it all started when Terasaka brought a little baggy to school-”

Naho was cut off by a shrill, “Guess who’s tentacle-free?!”

Both teachers looked toward Kayano who jogged their way, a huge grin on her face. Aguri was the first to react. She removed her legs from Naho’s lap and sprinted toward her younger sister, immediately crushing her into a hug once she was close enough.

He smiled at the sight. He, too, made his way toward them. “How are you feeling?”

Kayano struggled to look at him in her sister’s hug. “Less strained. Less angry. Less everything. I feel great.”

Naho patted her head, a soft expression taking over. “That’s great. I’m glad you reached out when you did.” He didn’t want to think about what would have happened if the tentacles overwhelmed her.

Aguri decided to stop crushing her sister and wiped her eyes. Naho’s heart squeezed at the action, catching sight of the stray tears on her face. Kayano didn’t notice.

“Well,” she began, one arm on Kayano’s shoulder, “Why don’t we go eat somewhere in town? It’s been a while.”

Kayano beamed. How precious…

“It’s fine with me. Pay day was yesterday so I’m good to spend.” Naho joined them, though, something pricked at the back of his neck. Feeling watched, he swiftly glanced at the source of his discomfort, as discreetly as he could.

The girls began walking away. He stayed back. His eyes were trained on a bush on the farside of the training grounds, narrowed in scrutiny. Someone was there, he was sure of it. His senses were going haywire and the urge to reach for a weapon grew with each passing second.

When he focused, he could pick up the sound of breathing. Five. There were five people. Judging by how fast they breathed, they probably knew Naho caught on.

Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder. He stiffened but made no other movement. No doubt it was one of the girls. He just didn’t know which one.

“Naho-sensei?” Ah, so it was Kayano. “What’s wrong?”

His eyes narrowed further, and his lips thinned. Then, the bush shifted, and he saw two familiar heads.

Naho sighed, his tense body relaxing at once. “Nothing,” he replied, turning around. He made eye contact with Aguri, who smiled nervously. “Let’s go. I’m in the mood for some kebabs. Any objections?”

“None here!”

“Wait!” It was Korosensei, who appeared out of nowhere. “Let me come with you!” It seemed he wasn’t mad anymore. Huh.

Naho shook his head. “I’m not paying for you.”

Korosensei despaired, “WHAT?”

Kayano giggles from beside Aguri who sighed in resignation

* * *

“Do you think he saw us?!” Okajima hissed, earning a shove from Maehara.

“No way. You just don’t know how to sit still and not make noise!” Maehara hissed back.

Though, Maehara couldn’t shake off the chill he’d felt when Naho-sensei’s bloodshot eyes stared right at him, yet unseeing. He was sure the teacher did not see them. So sure he could bet all of Okajima’s porn collection.

“Well?” spoke Isogai, from his hiding spot a few trees away, voice loud now that Okajima gave the signal that their teachers were out of sight. “Did you find what you were looking for?

There was a mix of exasperated fondness in his tone that caused Maehara to chuckle.

He sure did find what he was looking for. 

Sugino was the next to reveal himself, along with a very deadpanned Nagisa. Both gave Okajima and Maehara a long, unimpressed stare.

Maehara crossed his arms over his chest, grin so wide it could practically shatter his face. “Our Naho-sensei is definitely a player. Yukimura-sensei was practically all over him, despite Bitch-sensei slobbering on him that day.”

Isogai sighed.

Nagisa spoke up, “This feels like an invasion of privacy. I don’t think we should even be here.” 

Sugino nodded. “Why do you even care what Naho-sensei does? At this point you should know that he’s nothing but an ordinary teacher surrounded by loonies, sans us, Yukimura-sensei, and Karasuma-sensei.”

But Okajima clicked his tongue, “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” while waving his finger. “You know nothing. Haven’t you ever wondered why Naho-sensei doesn’t parttake in the assassination? Like, even Yukimura-sensei tried smashing his face in when she caught him reading porn.”

“Gee, I don’t know, because he’s the only normal one around here?” grumbled Isogai, chin to his chest while arms crossed.

Okajima ignored him. “The other day, I passed by the teacher’s lounge, right? And I overheard Karasuma-sensei talking to Naho-sensei. From what I heard, Karasuma-sensei was giving Naho-sensei anti-sensei weapons. I thought, oh, cool, another teacher-assassin, but, like, in-training. But then…” he paused for effect. “As Karasuma-sensei left - and I had to hide for this. I had less than a second - you wanna know what I heard?”

There were looks of indignation, but they were curious. So they nodded.

Okajima continued, “Like, Naho-sensei didn’t talk or anything at first, but I heard a loud crash! Like someone fell or something. I almost came out of my hiding spot for this - but I persevered. Then, then…” he paused, looking all over for any eavesdroppers, “Naho-sensei whispered something like “not this time” and practically yeeted his knife out of the lounge! I know this cause it landed next to me. Almost got caught, too. But I didn’t! So, like, I’ve been super curious and kinda suspicious.”

Maehara nodded enthusiastically. “This whole stalking thing wasn’t just about confirming our suspicions that Naho-sensei is a player - which I’m owed money on…” Isogai groaned… “But more about Naho-sensei as a whole. He doesn’t try to kill Korosensei, even though earth is going to shit by march. He doesn’t really do anything related to assassination even though it’s a priority… and what Okajima said. What did Naho-sensei mean by “not this time” huh? Why did he react that way about a harmless, rubber knife?”

Then, Sugino cleared his throat. “Did you forget that he broke his arm? Literaly after being discharged from the hospital?”

Maehara opened his mouth… but closed it after ten seconds. That’s… true, in a way. “Doesn’t explain his behavior...”

They all seemed to ponder on this.

But then…

“He’s… really fast, for someone with no background in assassination.” It was Nagisa who spoke. All eyes turned to him, and it seemed he got flustered by the attention. “The… the day he broke his arm… Karma-kun and I were hanging out at the cliffs…”

 _Why were they hanging out at the cliffs?_ Nobody asked.

Nagisa swallowed. “Karma-kun was… he was playing on the tree on the edge and almost… he almost…” why did it sound like he was lying? “He almost fell.” Gasps. “But Naho-sensei had showed up. He just… he just ran. Like. Really fast. Not faster than humanlly-possible, but faster than normal. He grabbed Karma-kun just in time, and I helped get them away from the edge… his arm got fractured. Though he didn’t seem to concerned about it.”

Sugino raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

Nagisa looked at him. “He was more concerned about Karma-kun than about his injury.”

Isogai tilted his head. “I’d be concerned too.”

Nods.

Nagisa furrowed his eyebrows. “Yeah.” And he said nothing else.

Maehara shrugged suddenly and brightened. “At least you all agree that Naho-sensei is not just normal.”

Okajima snorted. “These days - what exactly is normal?”

And wasn’t that the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo-boy, here we go.
> 
> First, very sorry for the really late update - I said I would update inconsistently but I didn't intend for it to be this long. Though, now that school is over, I have more than enough time to get my shit together.
> 
> Stay safe, y'all.


	11. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *says i'm gonna get my shit together*  
> Me:  
> Me: Lolz nah
> 
> All jokes aside! I apologize ;-; it's been busy. There's graduation, and dentist appointments (wisdom teeth - ouch), and birthdays (I'm an adult now :D lol jk just 18), and other family activities in need of planning... 
> 
> Regardless, enjoy the chapter.

**Concern:**

Nagisa couldn’t help but let his eyes flicker to Naho-sensei. Remembering what Okajima and Maehara said about the teacher, Nagisa could see what they meant by suspicious. For Nagisa, however, it wasn’t suspicious… but more… strange. 

But that’s not the right word either.

What’s so unusual - he’ll go with unusual - about Naho-sensei is his overall personality. And he’s not shitting on his teacher! He swears! But there’s something so familiar about Naho-sensei that kinda makes his skin crawl. 

That’s not important.

Nagisa scrutinizes him when everyone is supposed to keep their heads down to complete the quiz. 

He sees ruby eyes not at all bright, with a hint of melancholy in them.

And Nagisa doesn’t know what to make of it.

Then he remembers a conversation he had with the teacher a long time ago, about past trauma (it wasn’t quite that but the way Naho-sensei made it sound…) and he can understand why Naho-sensei seems detached. 

Those same ruby eyes that hold mysteries flicker over to him, and then it’s red meeting blue. Nagisa feels himself pale slightly and he looks down at his test, hoping he wouldn’t get called out.

Still… after a long minute, he looks back up. 

Naho-sensei is still looking.

Before Nagisa can flush in embarrassment, he notices that while Naho-sensei is looking, he isn’t really _seeing._

And that makes concern bubble deep in his chest.

* * *

**Gift:**

Naho came into the teacher’s lounge and found a neatly wrapped box on his desk.

He unwrapped it, opened it, and found a stuffed rabbit inside. 

Throughout the day he notices how Nakamura refuses to make eye contact with him, even when speaking to him directly, and he can only smile.

He thanks her, knowing she’ll know for what, and holds back a chuckle at her flush.

* * *

**Regret:**

Aguri found it odd how two students, Okajima and Maehara, seemed to make their classmates gravitate toward them with whispered _somethings_. Even her little sister was listening to those whispers with keen interest.

She ate her sandwich while frowning, as she thought of this. Unfortunately, the only other female teacher noticed and pointed it out with a, “you’re gonna get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that!”

It took all of her self control not to retaliate.

Reaper-san pressed a tentacle near her chin and instantly her overwhelming feelings settled. She only sighed, even as Reaper-san chuckled.

“Don’t anger Aguri, Bitch-neesan. She’ll claw your face off,” remarked Naho, flipping a page of his book.

The blonde seethed. “Who are you calling Bitch-neesan?!”

Reaper-san, “Who else?”

“YOU’RE DEAD!”

Karasuma walked in, thumb rubbing circles against his right temple. “I chose the wrong time to walk in…”

Aguri sweat-dropped as _Bitch-neesan_ attempted to stab Reaper-san while he dodged with rather loud chuckles.

She saw how Naho lifted his eyes briefly before lowering them back to his book and flipping another page.

Does she regret becoming a teacher?

She’d say yes, but…

Looking outside the window, seeing the kids possibly plotting world domination, she couldn’t help but not feel an ounce of regret.

_Her coworkers though…_

* * *

**Investigation:**

Akari preferred to go by Kayano Kaede for many reasons. 

For one: it was the name of the first-ever character she played as, and she’ll forever keep it in her heart. 

For two: it was a fresh start. Once she decided to part ways with the tentacles she’d injected into herself, she felt as though Yukimura Akari died and a new person was born.

And that was Kayano Kaede.

For _three:_ it could help her connect to other people without them needing to focus too much on her background.

That third reason was probably why she was being dragged into whatever nonsense Maehara and the perv Okajima orchestrated.

“What’s this all about?” she asked in a dead tone, but she was also genuinely curious.

Maehara had dragged her to another group, deep in the woods, consisting of - well, practically everyone.

Nagisa locked eyes on her and waved her over, where he was chatting with Sugino. Maehara went to stand beside Isogai.

Akari - or rather, _Kaede_ huffed slightly and crossed her arms, her back facing the boy. “I didn’t think this class was close enough to host these impromptu meetings,” she grumbled.

Sugino chuckled. “Yeah, me either. But hey, life’s full of surprises.”

“Amen to that,” Nagisa murmured.

Kaede spotted Terasaka and his friend group on the far side (or as far as they could be and still be within earshot) of the mini clearing. Each had their own curious expression on their face.

“Okay, seriously, does anyone know what’s going on?”

Nagisa opened his mouth but then his face froze and his eyes darted behind her and—

“No idea.” Karma appeared out of nowhere which caused her to yelp in sudden fright.

She smacked his arm in retaliation. He didn’t seem affected, however, and merely laughed.

“Maehara-kun wouldn’t say shit, so we’re stuck in the unknown until Okajima hurries with his batch. The entire class is gonna be hounded up.”

There was a heavy sigh, almost dramatically resigned and exasperated. It came from Nagisa. Karma looked over in an odd way, and Kaede blinked.

“So much for being subtle…”

Then Sugino hissed, “Wait, you know why we’re here?!”

Nagisa stared at Sugino as if he grew another head. “We literally had this discussion a while ago…”

Kaede looked between them curiously. Karma did too.

Realization brightened Sugino’s eyes, and then he was smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Oh yeah! Naho-sensei!”

And for some reason, Kaede’s heart skipped a beat, and her mouth went bone dry. Were they still against Naho-sensei? She thought they had passed that, especially since he wasn’t at fault? What more do they want from the teacher?

“What about Naho-sensei?” It was Karma, and Kaede almost winced at how cold his voice was. Chills ran up her spine and - holy hell, was Karma pissed at Naho too? 

There was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he stared at Nagisa, recognizing him as the source of information. Nagisa seemed to shrink, but he did not back down, though his eyes darted to the side. She felt bad and wanted to step in, but at the same time she wanted to know too - what about Naho-sensei could be the reason the entire class is having a meeting?

Sugino, much to Nagisa’s relief, spoke up. “Nothing bad. Naho-sensei’s been a teacher since last year, so some of us have known him longer than the rest, but we still don’t know much about him. I get that it’s not unusual to know nothing about teachers aside from their personality here in school, but now that Naho-sensei’s in E-Class… we’ve noticed that he isn’t really… normal. Even for us.”

Kaede shifted, raising a brow, and pushing some hair behind her ear. She said nothing because she knew Naho wasn’t normal. Naho knew about her tentacles, after all. People aren’t normal after that. Plus, he’d known Aguri worked at the lab, which means he’s just as normal as her sister is. Which means not.

“I… we’re not ganging up on him, or anything,” Nagisa offered, shoulders hunching slightly, “We’re mostly just curious about him, and we want to know more…”

“Why not ask, then?”

It would have been funny how Kaede, Nagisa, and Sugino stared at Karma in disbelief. Then again, Karma didn’t know what kind of not-normal Naho was.

The redhead frowned at their simultaneous stares. “What?”

Nagisa, “You were there when he saved you.”

And Karma all but froze, but he offered no response.

There was a heavy silence, nobody brave enough to break it, until Maehara’s chirpy voice sounded from her left. The boy in question stood on a big rock, hands on his hips as his lips widened into a toothy grin.

“Alright, listen up! I’ve got a few things to say!”

Okajima appeared beside Maehara on the rock, an equal expression on his face. Looking around, Kaede saw that everyone was here.

Maehara paid Okajima no mind and continued on with his speech or whatever it was he was doing. “The main topic is one of our teachers, not Korosensei, so if you’re not interested, you can skedaddle.”

“How about you elaborate before we decide if it's worth our time or not?” 

Good job, Okano. Kudos.

Maehara clicked his tongue, but not in an angry way. “Right - fine. It’s Naho-sensei. But before you say anything!” He gave the crowd a pointed look. “Okajima and I, and a few others who we’ve spoken to already, will be providing some interesting points about him, which will make you second-guess our beloved, crippled teacher.”

Murmurs rose but quickly vanished as soon as Okajima cleared his throat obnoxiously loud. “I’m going first! So, it all started when…”

Kaede could admit, later throughout the day, that what she heard in that meeting did not alleviate the tickling curiosity that lingered under her skin, etched into her very bones. She’d been apprehensive about thinking further on what made Naho-sensei an enigma but at the same time… she wanted to know more.

The informal investigation piqued her curiosity more than she wanted to let on.

* * *

**Red:**

Naho closed his folder filled with future lessons and gently stuffed it in his bag. 

It’s been quite the day, with Irina having a higher dose of bloodlust than normal, and Korosensei being a… passive-aggressive jerk because he lost his favorite mug, and Aguri not really knowing what to do with their coworkers, and Karasuma planning the upgrade in training… and the kids giving him odd looks since lunch… 

Well. At least it wasn’t a bad day.

Aguri had some things to discuss with Korosensei, something about lewd magazines, so Naho was alone with Irina in the office waiting for Aguri to finish. Karasuma had to leave early because of “work.”

“You’re queer,” Irina said suddenly, and Naho’s cheeks were set aflame. Goddamnit, Irina! Why did that need to be brought up now of all times?

Actually - why did it need to be brought up at all?!

He slammed his bag on the desk in his flustered state and silently apologized to the innocent papers he’d just put away.

The woman stared at him with a proud gleam in her eyes. Her arms, folded under her bust, with her chin held high gave her the image of an accomplished person. As if she’d discovered a precious gem among brittle rocks. As if the tea tasted better than any other tea in the world.

“There was something off about you, and I merely confirmed it with a little peck-”

“‘Little peck’ my ass!” he fumed, face burning more than ever.

She laughed. She. Fucking. Laughed. Leaning back in her chair, she lifted her legs so they rested on the desk. “You kiss good, by the way, even if you weren’t trying. You definitely have some experience.”

His breath was stolen from him by an invisible force, and he could feel the moment his soul turned to frost.

Naho furrowed his eyebrows. “That’s none of your business.”

But she only brightened at that. “I was right! Ha! You’ve got to share the deets now. Come on, it’s so awfully boring here. Spare me some gossip, will you?”

Gossip?

Did she really just say that?

He held back the strong urge to verbally retaliate. She doesn’t know. Nobody does. It’s not her fault. She’s just being Irina.

He knew that…

Yet the image of red - pure delicious red around him did not fail to cloud his mind. Red, the color of devotion, the color of heat, the color of love... The feel of honeyed words, warm whispers, and scorching touches… he wanted it but he knew deep down that he would not get it, no matter how much he begged and begged and begged.

God… he wanted it so bad that knowing he wouldn't get it now or ever would forever crush his delicate soul. 

The ring hanging from his neck seemed to gain overwhelming weight, and it was that weight that would ultimately destroy him.

He didn’t realize he’d squeezed his eyes shut until he was blinking them open, staring Irina down while drowning in the sea of pain and regret. He inhaled and exhaled, loosening his grip on his bag, and for the final time, he said, “It’s none of your business.”

As if sensing a change in the atmosphere, Irina’s grin disappeared, replaced with a frown. She offered no words, merely nodded in understanding. 

He left, not wanting to stay any longer. He’ll message Aguri later when he’s further away from there. He just needed to getaway.

He heard laughter when he exited the campus, and it dawned on him that there were probably some kids still hanging around. Usually, it was Terasaka and his friends, other times it was Okajima doing Okajima things…

This time the laughter belonged to Kayano, which made sense. She usually traveled with them in the afternoons…

She laughed along with Sugino and Karma, all waving at Nagisa as he left the mountain to go home. Naho knows intimately that it’s because mother- Nagisa’s mother did not allow him to stay out.

And then the kids turned in his direction.

Naho halted in his steps, unpleasant images flashing before his eyes, and he found it difficult to ignore the ringing in his head and the pain in his heart and the ache in his soul… 

Stop, just stop. Please. It hurts.

Red, he saw red- _sees_ red, spattering over him, dripping down his skin, burning him and there’s nothing he could do about it because he’s useless like that like he’s always been and forever will be.

The kids stopped when he appeared in their line of sight.

Naho avoided their eyes, his own feeling oddly sore and wet.

He turned the other way, intent on leaving the mountain, and ignored the concerned call of his name.

Turns out the day took a turn for the worst.

And no amount of alcohol could drown it away.

When he arrived home, he’d forgotten all about texting Aguri, and went straight to bed.

* * *

**Distraction:**

It was the weekend before midterms and Naho spent it at the Asano’s. It was exactly as he expected it would be. 

Awkward, tense, etc. 

But in a way, it was better than the first time he visited. If he did the math correctly, the first time was roughly a year ago. The reason was that Asano Gakuho had some suggestions (read: complaints) about his teaching methods (“While they are remarkable, Yamada-san, I believe there is a much simpler way—”) (“Yeah, I’m not manipulating the students. Sorry.) He didn’t get fired but his desk was filled with endless paperwork after that.

He’d be damned if he had to plan another school activity by himself _again._ He wasn’t lying when he said the Chairman is petty. 

Thank god he’s teaching E Class.

The reason for his visit on this lovely afternoon was that he had a few questions (read: complaints) about the textbooks and he was avoiding Aguri.

No doubt was she hunting him down right this instant for bailing on her the other day instead of seeking her company when it was clear he needed it.

“There’s nothing wrong with the textbooks, Naho.”

The only child in this house (mansion - god _damn_ ) sipped his drink silently, stiff as a board, violet eyes darting from his father to his ex-teacher repeatedly. So even _he_ knew the textbooks were bogus.

Naho inhaled sharply but calmly placed his chopsticks over his bowl of homemade noodles. His eyes were sharp as they locked onto Gakuho, and he had to stop himself from saying something that will get him fired. 

“I respectfully disagree.”

There was a choking sound, the source being the madam, Asano Tamako, also known as Mrs. Asano. But none looked her way.

Violet clashed with red. This was war.

“I’ve gone through the textbooks myself, every page, and every letter. If you can’t teach it then—”

Naho narrowed his eyes. “I can teach anything. Anything and everything that’s thrown at me. But I will not teach a lesson that can be interpreted inaccurately. If you thought I wouldn’t notice—”

It was Gakuho’s turn to narrow his eyes. “Are you implying—”

“You bet I fucking am.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw how Mrs. Asano slowly slipped away from the table and Gakushu followed close behind.

It was just them, then.

“If this is the type of conduct—”

Naho, “This isn’t the school—”

“Quit interrupting!”

“You quit it!”

Both were standing up now, glaring at each other as if they wanted to rip the other’s throats off. Naho knew he was behaving like a child, but did Gakuho know he was stooping to his level? He bit back a laugh when he saw pink slowly taking over the Chairman’s face. It would seem he figured it out.

Naho wondered when he got comfortable enough to get into petty arguments with his scary, manipulative boss.

A part of him was just taking out his frustration on him.

Another was just irritated at the unfair treatment his class was receiving. 

A small part of him, hidden away at the back of his head, just wanted a distraction. Something to occupy his mind. To keep him away from the hurt. The pain. The longing.

Though if he was being perfectly honest, it wasn’t a small part of him. It was all of him. It was as if he was submerged in tar. Heavy and overwhelming. Toxic.

He sat back down, cold and numb, and wordlessly resumed consuming his meal. The truth was like a hard slap. It stung and left a mark that would not go away for a while. He’ll forget about it later, in a few hours. If not, then a day. But he’ll forget.

Until he is reminded again. And he’s left with no choice but to rinse and repeat. 

“What’s the real reason you decided to stop by?” Gakuho asked, sitting down.

He shrugged, picking at his meal. “I needed a distraction.”

“Did you get it?”

He felt as his eyes glazed over, and heard as his voice cracked when he replied, “No.” He lightly shook his head. He was not going to talk about his feelings out loud. “How’s the divorce going?” He relished in the satisfaction he got when the Chairman flinched. Good. That’s what he gets for being a jerk.

“It’s going well. Tamako and I came to an agreement regarding custody, and everything should be finalized in the upcoming month.”

Naho slurped his noodles, chewed, and swallowed. “You deserve it, you know.”

The Chairman’s face went suspiciously still. “So you say.”

He nodded. And that was that.


	12. Let's Drop the Formalities Already

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naho's bumpy road to recovery - hopefully.

**Nightmare:**

Naho’s body hovered over the last place he ever saw.

The stench of iron and smoke overwhelmed his senses, but not as much as the sound of garbled breaths.

No matter how much he wished to look away, he could not. The image was now before him. Blood everywhere, dark smoke barely masking its scent. 

Naho no longer hovered.

His body was sprawled awkwardly underneath the sparking cables and bent metal of the godforsaken train, his left eye proved unresponsive, which left his available one as his only source of vision.

_Where…?_

Warm liquid dribbled down his broken skin, and he knew it was blood. His blood.

The rest of it was not his.

He wished it was.

The ragged breathing grew silent, but who’s breath was it?

_Where is…_

Naho’s throat tightened, barely capable of sucking in any breath. Tears accumulated in his right eye and slowly dropped down, one by one.

Through the blur of his one teary eye, he caught movement. 

Red.

It was not blood.

A sob escaped his split lips when he saw the other barely breathing, his heart aching in a way he never experienced before. His throat tightened further in an attempt to call out to him, to ask him about everyone else’s whereabouts, but most importantly… to ask if he was okay.

Deep down he knew though.

But he did not want to accept it.

His body was hot and numb, but his only concern was _him and the others_.

But he wasn’t breathing. Why wasn’t he breathing?

Naho opened his mouth and, with great difficulty, called out his name.

The name of the man he’d been with for years.

The man he grew to love more than anything else.

_“K- Karma?”_

* * *

**Pain:**

He awoke with his heart in his throat and screaming.

Memories of the nightmare flashed through his mind, forcing him to deal with the terror and agony he’d been avoiding ever since he arrived in the past. 

He clawed at his own arms, a cast and sling no longer there to hinder him. He dug hard into his skin, craving the feel of physical pain to force his attention elsewhere. He could feel it: his skin breaking and blood smearing. But it wasn’t enough. He could still see it. The broken metal, the fire, the smoke, the blood, the _death_. He could still smell it all.

And he couldn’t stop wailing at the top of his lungs. Shaking, sobbing, gasping for breath. 

Every single image of _that day_ was like a knife through his heart. It was too much. The pain of losing them - losing _him_ was too much to bear.

Suddenly, his arms were forced apart. The shock was enough for him to blink his eyes open for the first time since he woke up. Naho locked eyes with Aguri’s wide ones. She was sitting in front of him on his bed, face scrunched in worry. But both her arms were at her sides.

The light was on, so he could see perfectly well who was holding his arms apart.

The shock gradually left, and the images returned. He sucked in a panicked breath. No… no, please!

“Let me go!” he growled, but it sounded more like a whimper than anything else. He thrashed and struggled. Tears kept falling from his eyes, and his skin felt damp, probably from blood and sweat.

Korosensei did not allow Naho to struggle out of his grip, and the fact that he no longer had a means to forget about… about that day… It frustrated and frightened him.

Aguri cupped his face with both her hands. “Calm down - You’re hurting yourself! Naho, please _calm down!_ ”

He can’t! He... He has to forget! _How can he calm down when he can’t forget?!_

He shook his head violently and continued to thrash. “No, no, no!” Blood, there was blood everywhere! His blood, his friends’ blood…

_His husband’s blood!_

Naho froze, throat impossibly tight, stomach flipping—

The second Korosensei placed a bucket onto his lap, Naho bent over and retched.

* * *

**Memory:**

Aguri cradled Naho’s head under her chin, both her arms enveloping him in a tight hug. His smaller body still shook, even though he no longer heaved and cried. Even as he shook, he felt impossibly frail in her arms… Aguri had to bite her lip to keep herself from crying.

She couldn’t forget the screaming or the crying that was in session not too long ago.

“Aguri, move him a little. There are still a few pressure points I need to work with,” said Reaper-san, his yellow tentacles moving toward Naho.

She did as told, hoping Reaper-san could help Naho more than she could. The man in her arms was awake, she knew, but he was… for the lack of a better term, dead. It frightened her because she’s never seen Naho like this. 

Aguri watched as Reaper-san pressed a tentacle against certain parts of Naho’s body. Pressure points, he’d called them. 

Naho whined. It was quiet, barely audible, but there nonetheless. Aguri ran her fingers through his damp hair, hoping to soothe him and bring him peace of mind. She whispered words of comfort, and she could only hope they reached him.

Reaper-san hummed in approval and continued to work on pressing the points for a few minutes more before he retracted his tentacles. His permanent grin widened as he stepped back, huffing in relief.

“There, he should be feeling the relaxation settling in right about now.”

Aguri relaxed her shoulders, relief clinging to her bones. Naho no longer shook, and that brought her some peace. She did not stop petting his hair, nor holding him against her body. She would hold him even after he fell asleep.

If he falls asleep.

Reaper-san pulled a glass of water from who-knows-where and handed it to her. She knew what to do.

Gently, she nudged Naho, and she watched as he backed away, head down.

She handed him the glass of water, and he took it with his still-shaking hands. She did not look at his bandaged arms, for she would see specks of blood seeping through.

Naho drank small sips. 

The silence wasn’t so much as awkward, nor uncomfortable, but there was apprehension in the air. Reaper-san sat by the edge of the bed, watching over Naho as he drank. Aguri watched him as well, waiting for anything so she could jump into action.

Naho lowered the glass, his hair obscured his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said, almost in a whisper. Aguri clenched her jaw at how sad he sounded, and Reaper-san forced a chuckle.

A yellow tentacle landed on Naho’s messy bed head. “Don’t be sorry, Naho-san. We all have nightmares.”

The word “nightmare” caused Naho to flinch, and his grip on the water glass seemed to tighten. 

Aguri furrowed her eyebrows in worry. “Naho… do you want to talk about it?” Addressing the elephant in the room would probably make things worse. But things like this have to get worse before they get any better.

Naho’s shoulders sagged further. He was silent.

Aguri shared a look with Reaper-san. It would seem he wasn’t going to talk—

“It was a memory,” came his reply. 

Reaper-san, “Memory?”

Aguri inhaled deeply.

Naho raised a hand and pressed it against the center of his chest, above his stomach. Both Aguri and Reaper-san watched in curiosity as Naho reached into his sleep shirt and pulled out a necklace.

Aguri’s eyebrows shot up. It was a thin chain, and on the chain was a ring. She’d seen it before, and she’d asked about it, but Naho was always quick to change the subject.

Reaper-san was wise to keep quiet.

Naho stared at the ring for a long time before he removed the chain from his neck and showed it to them.

“The memory of my husband’s death.” The atmosphere grew cold. “It still haunts me…” Naho’s eyes widened as he stiffened. “T- the train—“

His voice broke towards the end, and it was inevitable: Naho’s shoulders shook, and he was once again sobbing. 

Without question, Aguri pulled him into her embrace and held him as he cried.

Reaper-san watched with an odd glint in his beady eyes.

Aguri didn’t question why his bright, yellow skin turned a light shade of blue.

* * *

**Ring:**

Morning came unexpectedly. Naho woke up in his roommate’s arms, and seeing how she was asleep, he wiggled out of her embrace and quietly exited his bedroom. 

His apartment was mostly silent. The air conditioner’s blast of cool air was probably the only noisy part of the place. 

His sock-clad feet led him to the kitchen, where he began to prepare some coffee. As he made it, he thought back to what transpired the night before… or was it earlier at midnight? He tried not to look at his bandaged arms, but he knew he messed up bad.

That… memory shook him to the core, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Normally, he would just focus on other things… but this? This wouldn’t be leaving him any time soon. He could fool himself, sure, but it wouldn’t last long.

The scent of coffee carried through the chilly air, and he took a deep breath, allowing the tension to leave his shoulders.

He served the hot drink and went to sit. He sipped from the simmering coffee without bothering to blow on it, or wait for it to cool down first. And as the hot liquid traveled down his traquea, he relished in the silence that surrounded him. 

His original blue-colored eyes were locked on his hands… on the golden ring placed on his finger. When had he put it on? Nevertheless, seeing it in its rightful place brought him some warmth and comfort. This wasn’t what he expected to feel when he used his ring again… he expected to feel unimaginable pain because of what he lost - _who_ he lost. Yet, that wasn’t the case at all.

Gently, he removed the ring. The small hoop was held between his fingers as his eyes locked on what was engraved in it.

_**Let’s drop the formalities already.** _

Without thinking, he pressed the golden hoop against his lips. 

At that moment, he imagined it was his husband instead of his ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to write this, because it adds on to what Naho is dealing with and what he has been ignoring since the day he was sent to the past.
> 
> To those who commented on their theories about the meaning of a certain little thing, I applaud. Honestly, it's fun reading your comments, and while I do not reply, please be assured that I seriously enjoy reading them. Keep them coming!


	13. Suffer the Consequences

**Second Blade:**

Looking at the gloomy expressions of his students, Naho felt like a failure. Logically, he knew this was not his fault in the slightest. But at the same time, Naho knew this would happen. He could have done something to change it or convince the students to study more or anything. Although, Gakuho was a bastard through and through. And Naho knew that competing against the Chairman was a dangerous game to play. 

Regardless, he could have done something worthwhile, yet he’d done nothing.

He stared at the uneven training grounds. Apparently, it hadn’t been terraformed in this timeline yet. Korosensei sure did scare the shit out of the kids, but he demonstrated that by destroying a couple of trees, thus making the future training grounds more spacious. He’ll have to have a chat with Mr. Grim Reaper.

He brought his attention back to the students, all with hunched shoulders, sans Karma. It would seem that no matter what timeline, Karma would always be, as Nagisa said: “an honor student bad boy.”

Korosensei chuckled from beside him, pink forming on what would have been his cheeks. “I told you so! But did y’all listen?”

That only made the students cringe and hunch further. Naho raised an eyebrow but made no comment. That was rather mean, but then again… 

He sighed quietly.

Just as Korosensei was about to torment the students further, he spoke up. “That’s enough.” His voice may have been a little cold, which is why Korosensei deflated and looked as though he was a scolded puppy. The students shot him wary glances.

Naho rubbed his once injured arm, relieved he no longer required a cast, though as for the recent wounds… He shook his head. If Korosensei was not going to be the Korosensei of Naho’s timeline, then Naho will have to take the reigns. 

He started with a warm smile and made no comment when he received odd looks. “During the grading process, I noticed that most of you had higher grades than in the past, for those whom I’ve taught back at the Main Campus. I’m glad you took our teachings to heart regardless of not passing with flying colors.”

The atmosphere seemed to lift, but Naho was not done.

The smile was gone. “But I do hope this served as a lesson for all of you.” The students flinched, some looking confused and wary. “The lack of motivation was one of the causes of your downfall, the lack of a _second blade_ being the other one. All of you are smart. Each and every one of you is capable of achieving great things. But you need drive, you need resolve, you need _a plan and a backup plan_ to rise above the rest.”

He crossed his arms, eyes scrutinizing every face. He noted that Karma didn’t seem too upset, in fact, he looked a little too smug. Once-best friend, confidant, and more, or not, Naho will not allow him to think he’s got it easy simply because he won this time.

“That includes you too, Akabane.” He would have laughed when Karma suddenly looked like a deer in headlights, but he did not. It was hard looking at him as it was.

The boy furrowed his eyebrows, confused at being called out. The rest of his classmates were confused too, especially those at the back that had peeked at his results.

“What do you mean, sensei? I think I did great.”

Terasaka clicked his tongue in irritation.

Korosensei began chuckling again, acting like a toddler.

Naho ignored him. “You did. Your grades are top-notch. But you’re not trying.”

Karma narrowed his eyes. “Why try when this stuff’s too easy?”

Now Karma was the one being glared at by the rest of his classmates because these exams were not easy for them at all.

“What about when it isn’t?” he said, and Karma faltered. “Bullshitting through all of it like you’re doing right now will eventually come to bite you in the ass.”

Korosensei gasped dramatically. “ _Naho_!” he chided.

“Oooh, sensei said bad words…” whispered Kurahashi, to which Kimura sniggered.

The redhead seemed taken aback, and to be honest, Naho was too. 

He didn’t let it show, though. So, he smiled. “You’re smart, Akabane, be _smarter_. Don’t let your guard down just because you won this time. You’ll meet people who will want to surpass you. Be ready to face them.”

Karma opened his mouth, but Naho was already looking elsewhere. “All of you require a second blade. When you have it, hone it. And it will serve you well in the long run.” He bowed his head. “I’ve said my part.” He inclined toward Korosensei, eyes narrowed. “Be nice.” 

That was when Korosensei began to elaborate on the Kyoto trip. The mood lightened up fairly quickly after that. Naho answered any questions thrown his way, and then Karasuma walked in to explain their role in the assassination.

Naho was pretty much done then, so he bid his farewells and joined the women in the lounge. Irina waved him over and, warily, he did so.

“You’re rather observant, so I need your help.” Irina showed him the magazine she was looking through. Naho raised a brow. “I want something that will make that fuddy-duddy Karasuma say wow. What do you think?”

Aguri stopped what she was doing and went to look at the magazine as well. “I don’t know Karasuma-san that well, so I suggested speaking to you…”

Naho blinked and took hold of the magazine. Immediately, the images made him cringe. He closed it. “If you want to win Karasuma over, none of these are going to work.” He sat on the nearest chair and crossed his arms, one knee over the other. “And we’re going on a school trip, not a casino. Dress casually.”

Irina pouted. “Where’s the fun in that?” She raised the magazine. “All of these outfits are of top quality! You can’t tell me there’s nothing in here that’ll make his mini-duddy happy to see me!”

Naho buried his face in his hand. “You did not just say that.” The mental image of it made Naho shiver. God no.

He heard Aguri groan. “She really did just say that.”

There was a huff from Irina. “You people need to get laid.”

* * *

**Options:**

After midterms came a special little school trip. Naho remembered his own school trip, in his timeline, his world, and all he could say was that it was quite the experience.

Yeah, that’s a nice way of putting it.

Right now, Naho had some issues that needed to be resolved _ASAP_ lest there be more problems.

“Isn’t there another option? I have no qualms with staying behind and doing some extra work,” Naho said, voice a little weak. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest and it was difficult to keep his breathing under control. His lungs felt as though they were being crushed, and his chest might just collapse in on itself.

Gakuho did not raise his eyes from the documents on his desk. “I have enough teachers lagging behind, Naho. I don’t see why you’d want to do extra work, or why you are trying to avoid going to Kyoto.”

Naho clenched his fists over his lap, his brows were furrowed and his lips were set in a firm line. It’s not that he didn’t want to go to Kyoto. It would actually be kind of fun if his attention was captured long enough, but the mode of transportation…

He cannot go by car, because Aguri’s vehicle cannot withstand the journey. By bus… it takes longer. It’s too late to book a flight… and by train was simply impossible.

“Is there really no other option?” he tried again, but he knew it was a losing battle.

Gakuho finally looked at him, violet eyes sharp. 

He knew right then he had lost.

* * *

**Questions:**

Walking back up the mountain with heavy shoulders, Naho tried not to openly sulk. He met with a couple of students, who all claimed were sightseeing, but were actually spying on him. He resisted the urge to question them, not wanting to take away their fun. They were his friends in his other life, and he could never be bothered with them no matter what, when, and where.

Okano, Yada, and Kayano walked with him back to the Old Campus.

Yada was the one making conversation, while the other two listened in and sometimes commented on their own thing.

“Hey, sensei! You and Yukimura-sensei are pretty close, aren’t you?”

Kayano sighed at that, while Okano nodded along.

Naho looked at them with a raised brow. “She’s my best friend.”

“And my sister,” Kayano added with a glare. 

Yada merely smiled as she skipped over a thick branch. “Just your best friend?” she ignored Kayano, much to the girl’s ire. “Nothing more? I mean, Yukimura-sensei is really pretty and you’re not so bad yourself—”

“What?!” Naho spluttered at the same time Kayano did, and came to a halt, staring at the girls in disbelief. “You think... me and Aguri?” He couldn’t stop his face from burning in embarrassment right then, because they had the _gall_ to think—

Okano frowned and scratched her head. “What about Bitch-sensei?”

“What?!” Do they seriously think he has a thing for the other female teachers?! Oh god, Naho was going to faint. 

Looking at them as if they each grew an extra head, he smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead and continued walking up the mountain, leaving them behind.

“Hey, wait! I’m not done asking!”

Naho increased his walking speed. “I’m not comfortable sharing this type of information!”

Suddenly, both his arms were restrained. Okano and Yada both hung to his limbs, a chilling smile adorning their not-so-innocent faces. 

Kayano walked in front of him, a nervous smile on her face. “Sorry, Naho-sensei, but we have a few questions — _appropriate_ questions — we need to ask.”

Naho gulped.

* * *

**Surreal:**

Aguri shivered and halted in the middle of the hallway. 

Reaper-san stopped when she did. “Are you alright?”

A nod. “Yeah…” Aguri shook her head and rubbed her arms. “For some reason, I feel a great sense of foreboding.”

Reaper-san tilted his head. “I see,” he hummed. “How curious.”

Shrugging, Aguri continued her walk, and Reaper-san followed. The kids were out and it was just them in the building. Naho was probably still at the Main Campus slowly but surely worming his way into their boss’ heart (a talent she envied) and Irina was with Karasuma, no doubt trying to lure the man into her spider web.

She looked at Reaper-san. As in _really_ looked at him. 

His shape was that of a hybrid octopus, with skin made of antimatter and colored in a way that could rival the sun. Aguri recalled the man he was. The dangerous man he used to be. While she was certain Reaper-san was still plenty dangerous, he seemed more honest about it.

Before, Reaper-san could pass off as a normal man, who’d deny ever hurting a fly, yet would kill a person once they turned their back.

This Reaper-san did not act. He was honest. 

Aguri did not know what to think, other than feeling somewhat accomplished. Because she managed to make a friend in him. Because she managed to get through to him.

Right on time, too.

She always wondered how it would feel like to die. Never had she cared about how or when… just how it would be like to just stop existing.

The idea of not existing anymore sounded terrifying, but she’d always been curious.

The night the lab exploded… and Reaper-san killed— _escaped_ would forever be ingrained in her mind. More so Naho as he had willingly used himself as a shield. 

Her eyes caught onto Reaper-san’s harmless-looking ones.

“Hey, Reaper-san?” 

“Yes, Aguri?”

“How do you feel about everything? About being out… of that place, away from… that _man_ , and in this form?”

He hummed and remained silent until they reached the empty classroom.

“How do _you_ feel?”

Aguri lowered her eyes as she thought. “Relieved, I suppose. No more lab, no more Kotaro…” She sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. “About you being in this form… I don’t know how to feel about it. You’re… you. I can’t seem to view you from another perspective… even if I know I… I should…” 

A tentacle landed on her head. “Then, I feel the same as you.”

She looked up at him. “Really?”

His expression seemed bubbly and happy due to his ever-present grin… but somehow melancholy hung onto his very being.

“It’s surreal. I never thought I would end up here, like this. I wonder how he’s doing…” he mumbled the last part.

Then, something clicked. “Are you going to find him?” she asked, a curious lilt in her tone.

They both knew who she was referring to.

“I don’t even know his name, Aguri. And frankly, if I do so much as see him, I may end up killing him.”

His words were monotone.

His words were serious.

Yet, they held doubt.

Aguri smiled. “With kindness, I reckon? After all, grooming is your specialty.”

Reaper-san tilted his head. “I meant literally.”

But she doubted he would. After all, Reaper-san was human now. Maybe not exterior-wise… but human nonetheless. Most of all, he was a teacher, and he’s been a teacher for years now.

“There’s been enough death, _Koro-san_. While it’s too late to give life, the best thing you can do is find closure. Find him, apologize to him, and take a moment to just _see_ him.”

They remained in silence.

Until he said, “Very well.”

She was ready to praise her friend, but her phone went off, thus interrupting her. She shot Reaper-san a look before answering the call and pressing the phone against her ear.

“Hello—”

_“AGURI! SEND HELP!”_

She winced. “N- Naho?”

_”I’VE BEEN KIDNAPPED.”_

Aguri became alarmed. Reaper-san straightened up, no doubt listening in with his enhanced hearing. “Where—”

There were sounds of struggle on the other end and high-pitched laughter.

“The kids-! AH! Get away from me, you _devils_ —!” and the call abruptly stops.

Aguri began to sweat. “O- oh my…”

Even Reaper-san looked a little blue with fear.

* * *

**Coffee:**

As Karasuma made it back to the Old Campus, a new file in hand, he accidentally came across his fellow colleague.

Yamada Naho was tied to a tree, skin as white as a sheet, and shaking like a newborn deer.

Multiple students surrounded said tree… as if summoning an evil entity.

“Who do you like?!”

“Yukimura or the Bitch?!”

“What about both at the same time?!”

“Guys, this was supposed to be about something else entirely—”

“Answer or suffer the _conseQUENCES_!!”

Karasuma watched, a little unnerved, as the students prodded at their teacher. 

The said teacher cried miserably as he struggled, to no avail, against his restraints.

Well, if this was what Karasuma was going to be exposed to the rest of the year, he may as well stock up on coffee. He could already feel the migraines that have yet to come.


	14. Exposed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late update! College isn't fun.

**Anxiety:**

The flush of the toilet was loud to him, in the complete silence of his apartment. Naho wiped his mouth with the hand towel as he closed the lid of the toilet and sat on it. 

Even while spitting out nothing but air, and sometimes stomach acid, the nerves that clung to him and the gut-wrenching terror that all but gripped him like a vice refused to dissipate. He could hardly ingest anything. Not without having to spill his insides out the very next second. 

Today was the day. The Kyoto trip. He had tried everything he possibly could, but no such luck.

With a heavy sigh, he got up and dropped the towel in the basket. Then, he proceeded to wash his arms in the sink with warm water. The cuts were closed up, thankfully, and all that was left were scabs. The antibiotic he had been using worked wonders.

Once finished, he towel-dried his arms and made it back to his bedroom to prepare himself for the day.

It was going to be a long day.

“Naho,” said Aguri as she walked into his room. “I, uh, heard you. You okay?”

Heat spread all over his body. _How mortifying…_ “S- sorry, I’m not… doing so well.” He closed his luggage bag and turned to her. “You know… the tr- the train?” He released a shaky breath. “Can’t stop… can’t stop thinking about… about it.” Naho could not even hear a train, lest he fall victim to yet another attack. He couldn’t even imagine what seeing one would do to him.

Aguri sat on the edge of his bed, her worried stare clinging to him like chewing gum. He sat beside her and rested his head on her shoulder.

“There has to be something, Naho…”

If there was a solution, he would have taken it already. Korosensei had offered to fly him over to Kyoto, but Karasuma forbade it when he overheard their conversation.

And he couldn’t _not_ go or else he’ll be in even more trouble with the Chairman. There’s only so much his boss could tolerate, after all…

He sighed, clutching at his chest. His heart was racing at an almost uncontrollable pace. If it weren’t for him forcibly keeping his breathing in order, he would have hyperventilated. 

Aguri let him rest on her a little longer until they both had to ready their things for the upcoming trip.

* * *

**Attack:**

His legs were jello as he walked alongside the class, nearing the station. Aguri kept shooting him concerned glances, while Korosensei tried to change Karasuma’s mind. 

Naho didn’t blame Karasuma, because he didn’t know, but Naho wanted nothing more than to punch his face. He couldn’t wait until Karasuma started developing human emotions…

Wait, that was mean.

Ah, fuck it.

Naho registered the sound of screeching train tracks in the distance, and his body froze. The kids were chatting among themselves and kept on walking, but little Nagisa turned around.

Naho’s heart was beating so fast that it hurt. It even hurt to breathe.

“Naho…” Aguri placed her hand on his shoulder

Nagisa approached them. “Sensei, are you okay?”

Naho eyed his counterpart, words failing to roll off his tongue. He managed to shake his head, and then he breathed in sharply.

He heard the screeching again, and his mind went blank.

“Naho!” Aguri exclaimed at the same time Nagisa did, though they sounded so far away.

Opening his eyes — which he didn’t recall closing in the first place — he saw that all eyes were on him. And that he was on the ground. Class 3-E turned to look at him, as well as Karasuma and Korosensei.

The octopus was already at his side pressing a water bottle against his lips, Aguri was fanning him with her planner, and poor Nagisa was digging into his bag frantically.

“Are you alright?” asked Karasuma as the other kids approached curiously.

Fatigue clung to him like a weighted blanket, so he shook his head.

“Karasuma-san, he cannot travel on the train.” Korosensei allowed Nagisa to hold the water bottle for him before standing and taking Karasuma to the side.

A small paper bag was placed in his hands, and Naho had to squint his eyes to figure out what it was.

“It’s sweets,” said Nagisa, kneeling beside him. “It’ll raise your blood sugar and hopefully get you energized and functioning well.”

Naho nodded and managed a shaky smile. The fresh air from Aguri’s fanning helped him a lot. Slowly, he took the bottle from his counterpart and took a sip of water.

“What happened?” Isogai jogged to the people on the ground. “Did you hit your head?”

He didn’t think so…

Aguri spoke up. “Nothing of the sort. Physically, he is fine. Or as fine as he can be. He was checked.”

Really? When?

Kayano jogged over as well, a frown marring her face. “Naho-san…”

Isogai crouched in front of him and offered one of his salty snacks. “Here. Eat. It’ll help.”

Naho stared owlishly at the bag of chips, and then down at the bag of sweets… and back at the bag of chips.

He barely processed being helped on his feet, much less having the bag of chips pushed into his hands. The next thing he knew, Aguri was walking him back. Away from the station. Away from the train.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that… we should have known better.”

He shook his head. “Mm, ‘s fine…” His tongue felt heavy.

Nagisa, Isogai, and Kayano followed them, the three looking at him with concern.

From the distance, he no longer heard the train, but he did hear Karasuma telling the kids to go to the station.

The three kids still with them watched Naho in anticipation, clearly waiting for something. He stared at them until they looked down at his hands at the same time.

That’s when it clicked.

With a sigh, he opened both bags of snacks and nibbled on a sweet, then he mixed it up with a salty chip.

The kids brightened up.

Aguri stuck to caressing his hair as a mother would do, and all he could do was try not to visibly melt at the affection.

But then Aguri giggled, the kids also giggled, and Naho had to fight back an embarrassed flush. Instead of saying anything, he just kept nibbling on the snacks.

Which he felt bad eating since they weren’t his.

“Don’t feel bad,” said Kayano, and Naho raised a brow. How…? “Your expression gave it away.”

That made sense.

Naho wasn't a snack eater, normally. He’d have to be in a mood to eat a snack or anything of the sort. But...

He looked at Isogai, and then at Nagisa and Kayano, and an unbelievable warmth filled his chest. 

For them, he’d do anything.

Almost anything.

He didn’t think they cared… considering he hadn’t been a teacher in E Class for too long. 

Then again, when he taught at the Main Campus, he had some of them as students too.

He truly didn’t think they cared. It’s a thought that he’d drilled into his head since his first day of work. They weren’t his friends, they were just his students.

It was nice to see that they at least felt some concern for him.

And so, Naho ate little by little… until Korosensei approached him with his permanent grin, and urged Aguri and the kids to go to the train with their belongings.

“We’ll meet you at the inn!” he said.

Naho blinked at that and glanced over at Karasuma. Karasuma met his eyes and gave a curt nod.

Relief settled in.

Korosensei addressed him. “Ready?”

He smiled. “Yeah.”

* * *

He hadn’t noticed immediately, but flying with Korosensei felt like returning home.

* * *

**Exposed:**

“Jell-O is disgusting. Do you even know what it’s made of? Of course, you don’t. You don’t read labels.”

Korosensei cried, “But it’s delicious! Why must I read such things when I could just savor the flavor?! Shoo, shoo! Hater…”

Naho rolled his eyes, more out of habit rather than actual irritation. He bit into his onigirazu. He then used his thumb to wipe away the condiments that smeared the corner of his lips as he chewed.

After swallowing, he said, “Not a hater. Just a hardcore vegetarian.”

“Vegetarian?” The octopus in disguise pouted. “That’s rough… how do you enjoy food knowing you’re limited?”

He tilted his head. “I don’t usually think of that? Being vegetarian is not the same as being vegan. I’m not that limited.”

The pair arrived at Kyoto earlier than the class did, about two hours at least. They couldn’t enter the hotel because, well, the staff didn’t believe Korosensei was Karasuma’s friend.

Which is understandable. Naho could not blame them, truth be told.

So they opted to stop by a nice food place for a quick bite. And no. Naho did not pay for the octopus.

It was relaxing. 

“Are you feeling any better?” asked Korosensei, wiping his mouth with a napkin (which he unsubtly ate when Naho turned his head). “Any discomfort? Nausea?”

Perhaps earlier he had felt everything… but the peace and relaxation he experienced since landing here drove away any discomfort he may have had. He shook his head with a smile. He wouldn’t lie, though, if he thought about that evil mode of transportation, his stomach would twist inside out and his throat would tighten uncomfortably. 

He tried not to think about it.

“I’m better now. Thank you.” He sipped his drink. “So, the kids are going to use this trip to spend quality time with you. Are you excited?”

Korosensei giggled while shaking a disguised hand. “Very! It’s not every day we get to hang out together as a class. I’m going to cherish this trip very much!”

Naho hummed. “Your personality is bright compared to… a while ago. It’s nice, but is it really you?” 

Naho blinked suddenly and furrowed his eyebrows. Wow. Where did that come from?

Korosensei eyed him, no specific emotion on his face. 

Then, the octopus cleared his throat. “That’s for me to know—”

Naho began to sip his drink, already knowing where this was going.

“—and for you to find out, isn’t it, Nagisa?”

Naho stiffened and choked on his drink. _Nevermind!_ He slammed the cup down and covered his mouth while coughing harshly.

“Oh! Did I surprise you to the point of dying?” Korosensei passed him some napkins, sweating nervously. “My apologies, I should have timed it better!”

Naho regained his breath and only stared incredulously at the octopus. His eyes were damp from coughing too harshly.

‘Surprised’ was an understatement. Why the hell— no.

 _When_ the hell did he find out?!

Korosensei answered after taking one look at his face. “I’ve been investigating you since we first met.”

Naho fluffed up, like an angry hen, and glared at Korosensei. “What the hell?”

The octopus “heee’d” when he saw Naho’s deadly glare. “I’m sorry! I just found it odd how Aguri called you Nagisa at first and then switched to Naho!”

The glare darkened.

Korosensei turned blue. “And! And! I merely thought you had the same name as Nagisa-kun! I never thought you two were the same—”

Naho grabbed his food and threw it at Korosensei, who ate it midair. Naho angrily shushed him, his pointer finger just above his lips.

Both were silent now. Naho glaring while Korosensei was nervously sweating.

Finally, Naho stood up, shoulders tense. “So much for privacy.” He turned around and headed to the hotel.

“Wait! Naho-san! You can’t blame me for being curious!”

He ignored him.

“H- Hold on!”

The crowd in front of Naho parted like the red sea, his aura too menacing to ignore.

Naho was mad, but in reality, he was terrified.

Korosensei was too curious.

He just hoped the octopus refrained from asking questions. Because regardless of his answers making painful memories resurface, he would no doubt throw himself in front of the bus if Korosensei asked.

It was the least he could do…

For taking Korosense’s life.


	15. Bittersweet

**Illusion:**

“Do you think the mountain is haunted?” Karma asked, running his fingers along Nagisa’s bare side. The touch was cool and scathing all the same, tingling sensations forming goosebumps along his arms.

He processed the question with a soft hum. Haunted? Definitely. “It’d be a surprise if it wasn’t.”

Karma’s laugh bounced off the walls of their bedroom. A symphony, he wanted to say. Music to his ears. The sound fed his heart, allowing it to bloom with pure affection. _This man is everything_ , Nagisa swore. 

Nagisa sat up with a groan, unable to ignore his aching body, especially his backside. Karma ceased his laughter in favor of cooing at him, pulling him into himself, and kissing his cheeks multiple times. The sound of Karma’s lips smacking caused his cheeks to tint, allowing for the image of a healthy hue.

Nagisa let out a huff. “You’re sticky.” Sticky as in clingy. 

But Karma didn’t seem to take it that way. He took Nagisa’s hands and pressed it against his lower abdomen, where Nagisa unmistakably felt it.

With a smirk, Karma said, “All because of you.”

Pulling his hand back with force, Nagisa glared at Karma while a flush of red overtook his face. “You—!” He was cut off by a quick peck.

It really was quick. But it was sweet. And it always worked on him. Nagisa lowered his shoulders, no longer tense. The action continued, their lips lingering for a longer period of time, sliding against each other. Nagisa could easily get drunk on the feeling.

Then, Karma’s forehead hid where Nagisa’s neck and shoulder connected, his left hand still teasing his naked torso. “Let’s go there. To the mountain. Tomorrow.” His voice lowered with each word until all that was left was a whisper.

“Yeah.” He would never be opposed to it, honestly.

Just like he would never be opposed to having Karma devour him alive.

“I love you,” said Nagisa, and he meant it.

But all he heard Karma say was, “Wake up.”

And he did.

* * *

**Heavens:**

Day two of their stay in Kyoto, and he was already exhausted. He awoke with a start, his mind hazy and his eyes foggy, trying to clear up from whatever it is he dreamed about.

With a sigh, he shielded his eyes with his forearm but was momentarily stunned when he registered the warm wetness that attached to him.

Tears.

He was crying.

It didn’t surprise him.

He prepared himself, then, to take a shower before everyone else woke up. The warm water didn’t help with his fatigue, so when he returned to his sleeping quarters, which he shared with the other two male teachers, he took his Thermoflask and left to fill it with chilled water.

All the while, he held his ring in between his fingers. He drank his chilled water as he leaned on one of the windows in the hallway, letting the morning air envelop him and freshen him up. 

The ring no longer hung from a chain. Now it just twirled around his finger, glinting in the morning sun. Every time he looked at it before, he’d feel sadness and pain, and even terror. At the moment, he felt none of that. Except maybe for sadness.

He never really did properly grieve, did he? 

He died and was thrown into another world. A world of the past. He did everything to survive in this world, which included creating an entirely new life and taking on a new name. He had no time to grieve, except for when he was by himself, sitting alone in the dark and unable to escape his screaming thoughts.

It was only recently that the emotions he should have felt back then began to come to light. 

If he once screamed at the heavens for this injustice, now he pleaded for mercy.

The pain was too much.

But he wanted to feel it anyway.

Yet he wanted to forget.

He buried his forehead in his palm, after lowering his flask to the floor, and squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, his eyebrows furrowed.

He breathed through his nose, and then fixed his posture. Without thinking about it, he gently slid the ring on his ring finger.

He spent his morning just staring at it, until reluctantly leaving the ring on for the rest of the day. And the next. And the next.

* * *

**You’re Me:**

Nagisa groggily pressed the buttons on the vending machine, his free hand scratching his jaw. When the vending machine didn’t release his caffeinated drink, he grunted in disappointment.

Until Naho-sensei came and gave the vending machine a good kick.

Nagisa jolted and stood surprised as the sound of a drink dropping into the take-out port echoed around him.

Naho-sensei huffed in irritation. “They think they can just take the money. Haha, no.”

Nagisa grabbed his drink and popped it open. He thanked his teacher and offered, “Would you like one?”

Naho-sensei raised a brow. “You do realize how unhealthy that is. Did you read the label?”

Nagisa tilted his head. “No?”

Naho-sensei laughed and patted his head. “One day, you’re going to wish you did.” Then, Naho-sensei’s crimson eyes darted to the side of his face, which sprouted a bruise from being punched by the high school students the previous day.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said, a frown marring his already-sad face.

Nagisa’s eyes widened a fraction. _Sad…_

What was it that Naho-sensei told him, back at the main campus?

_"I didn't have a childhood filled with butterflies and rainbows, I wanted to share with the class that abuse exists. Not just physical... but emotional as well and that it's not okay to either cause it or suffer from it._

_Because I didn't ask for help, I lost the happiness of childhood."_

That’s right… he’d almost forgotten.

Nagisa thought, _But, Naho-sensei, if you lost the happiness of childhood, does that mean you lost the happiness of adulthood too?_

If so… what hope did Nagisa have?

Would he feel miserable until the world came to an end?

A sharp pain reached his forehead, and Nagisa pressed a hand against it in numb surprise. Naho-sensei flicked his forehead and now looked at him with a strange look.

“Don’t think too much. You got hurt, you felt the taste of failure once again, but that does not mean you can’t come back strong. You’ll learn to fight, Nagisa-kun, for yourself and others. Even in the face of hopelessness, you’ll find the way. One way or another.”

_Even in the face of hopelessness, you’ll find the way. One way or another._

Nagisa stared at him. No thoughts occupied his mind. He merely stared at his teacher… and felt an unmistakable warmth spread from his chest. And he nodded, swearing to himself to absorb those words and keep them forever.

He winced, then, when he remembered his classmates’ secret mission.

Naho-sensei tilted his head. “Are you feeling okay? Do you need some painkillers?”

Nagisa shook his head, flushing. “N-no, I just… remembered something.”

_Only that the class is practically plotting to overthrow you! And me until a few minutes ago!_

But his teacher smiled that warm smile that Yukimura-sensei had been smiling since she began teaching them. They must spend a whole lot of time together, for him to make him feel just as warm as she does.

“Do you think we’ll kill Korosensei before March?” the words slipped out before he could stop them, and he couldn’t help but stare at his teacher, awaiting an answer. 

The mission itself seemed impossible, but everyone was so optimistic about winning.

Naho-sensei’s ruby eyes remained on Nagisa’s form for longer than strictly necessary, and Nagisa had to look away before his cheeks threatened to evaporate.

“Anything is possible if you believe in yourself.” Naho-sensei chuckled, causing Nagisa to look back at him. “But is killing something you want to do?”

And Nagisa’s heart seemed to spasm.

Had he thought about it? Of course, he has.

He’s a teenager in a classroom full of other teenagers, bribed with money to kill a supersonic monster. 

“I don’t have a choice.” Nagisa winced at his own words.

But…

“Now, now, that isn’t true.” The patting on his head resumed, that warm smile ever-present on Naho-sensei’s face. “Everyone has a choice even if it feels otherwise. My words may seem like mere words, but that is something I believe in. I hope that one day you’ll realize it, and maybe believe in it too.”

All he could do was nod.

* * *

**Cold:**

Korosensei slurped on his coffee gloomily, watching as Aguri talked a little too enthusiastically with Karasuma. Not that he was bothered by the fact she was talking to Karasuma. He was bothered by the fact that he was all alone with no companion.

The students were chatting with each other, Irina was likely hopping from shop to shop, Aguri was with Karasuma, and Naho was nowhere to be seen.

Or so he thought.

He gave a delighted squeal when Naho sat at his table. “This lonesome teacher is not alone any longer! I thank thee for this mercy, this opportunity to prove I am worthy—“

Naho groaned, “Please, enough with your bullshit.”

Korosensei gasped. “Oh my! What profanity—“

“I will murder you in cold blood.”

Korosensei laughed and placed his coffee down. At least he had a companion now, even if the said companion was likely still upset with him. Truth be told, the reason for which Naho was mad was and will continue to be, bizarre.

Time travel, of all things.

Morbid lab experiments are one thing, but time travel?

How on earth did he put two and two together?

“I have something to say,” whispered Naho, hiding his hands underneath the table, likely on his lap. Before he did, however, Korosensei caught sight of the gleaming ring on his finger.

Naho sucked in a breath. “You’re the only other person who knows. About, um. Well, _me._ I am not used to being addressed as _me_ anymore, so hearing my original name come out of your mouth was a shock… an unpleasant shock. I’m sorry about my overreaction. It was uncalled for. But I’d like you to call me Naho… despite knowing my identity.”

It was strange. Was that _guilt_ he felt? “Don’t apologize for something you had no fault in,” he reassured, “But I have my curiosities. You’re from the future.”

At least their table was isolated from the rest.

Naho furrowed his eyebrows. "At this point, I suspect I’m in an alternate timeline. Not the same world but in the past all the same.”

Excitement bubbled in his chest. “I’d like to conduct some studies if you don’t mind. About the possibilities of parallel universes.”

His companion slumped. “I don’t want to be a source.”

_And I don’t want to be here._ He refrained from mentioning such a thing. “What do you propose then? This humble one needs a hobby.”

Naho sighed… and slowly lifted his hand that bore the ring. “Well, you know I married someone. A great man, honestly.” His eyes darted to the side, towards the students’ area. “I see him every day, but I don’t feel that spark. I don’t feel anything towards him. Not like I used to.”

Korosensei followed Naho’s line of sight. The kids were chatting happily, oblivious to their stares. Naho stared at one table in particular. The table where the kids who dealt with the high schoolers sat at. 

Nagisa smiled sheepishly with Kayano, as Sugino and Karma talked with Kanzaki. Though it seemed that Karma was threatening Sugino into talking with Kanzaki.

Oh.

_Oh._

Korosensei deflated. “You have an odd taste in men, then.”

Naho giggled.

He _giggled_.

“I thought the same thing a few years back… or, um, a few years in the future?”

“Speak of your past as it is. There is no need to change it, especially for the convenience of others.”

He received a grateful smile. Korosensei merely nodded.

“Well,” continued Naho, “We got married early, just fresh outta high school. It was nice and sweet. I… we were both nervous wrecks, so imagine how we spent our honeymoon?”

He couldn’t imagine it, truth be told.

Naho laughed, bringing his hand to his face. “We played monopoly until we couldn’t stay awake anymore. God…” 

That’s…

“So boring!” Korosensei was baffled! No way did they— what about all those novels he read? The pure, romantic, and passionate love of a freshly married couple?!

Naho raised a brow and lifted his chin and crossed his arms and oh— Korosensei could see it now. Of course, Naho would pick up on his husband’s arrogant aura. Why did he marry that man…

“Excuse me, sir, it was so not boring. It was romantic.”

Absolutely not! “What’s romantic about playing that death game?!”

“The tension!”

“Yeah! The murderous one!”

This was ridiculous. Lies. The novels were all lies. 

Naho laughed, though. "I was kidding. As if I'd share what really went on on our honeymoon..."

He sighed and shook his head. Once again, he just _had_ to marry that particular person. “Moving on. Is there anything that you’d like to tell me about… this year?” The fact that Naho was alive and from an actual future meant that the mission was a success.

“There have been changes. I can’t say for sure.”

He tilted his head. “Changes?”

Naho smiled bitterly. “Aguri was supposed to die the day of the lab incident.”

Suddenly, Korosensei felt cold all over. " _What?_ "

Naho leaned back, crossed his arms, and hummed. "Yep."

Korosensei curled his tentacle into a makeshift fist. That is not what he expected.


	16. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Lies:**

“You mean the pipsqueak had a panic attack?” Terasaka raised a brow from where he sat on the sofa, watching Isogai and Maehara play their fifth round of ping pong.

The image didn’t sit right with him. That small ass teacher who’d blend in easier with the rest of the students, having a panic attack? It didn’t make sense. How can a happy-go-lucky knitting-is-my-hobby puppy guy just… lose it?

Terasaka glowered as he knitted his fourth sock. 

Isogai hit the ball. Maehara countered it. 

“It was triggered by the trains. That’s why he couldn’t ride with us,” said Isogai, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

Maehara caught the ball with his hand, opting to take a break. “Damn, that sucks. The lady-killer being sent off the edge by a train?”

“Don’t be an ass,” said Hara as she munched on her pocky. “Naho-sensei is a cool teacher. Most of y’all didn’t have him at the main campus. Plus, he’s anti-fat-shaming.”

“As if him being anti-fat-shaming has anything to do with—“

“I don’t wanna hear it!”

Terasaka clicked his tongue and put his knitting needles away. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and his hands under his chin. “The guy’s been through a little too much this year. First, he gets demoted to E Class, then he gets hospitalized, and then breaks his arm… now panic attacks…”

Isogai slumped down on the couch, a towel around his neck. “Yeah… he needs a break, a vacation even.”

“And us investigating his personal life sounds like a reeaaalllyyy good vacation to me.” Karma walked in, hair dripping wet.

Looks like he’s done with the shower he hogged all to himself. Most of the boys in the room sighed in relief and began leaving to take their long-awaited shower. Honestly, what was he even doing in there?

(The answer to that question was better left unknown when fifteen minutes later, loud screaming came from the direction of the shower room.)

Isogai and Maehara nodded at Karma and walked out, leaving both Terasaka and the redhead alone. 

Terasaka rolled his eyes and watched as Karma leaned against the ping pong table. “Tell me about it. I ain’t even interested in this investigation bullshit—“

“Lies.”

He grew irked. “Hah?”

Karma smirked and sipped from his drink—which he pulled out of thin air, apparently. “Lies. We’re all interested in our teachers’ personal lives. You just feel guilty because you bonded with that particular teacher.”

Terasaka got riled up. “Who said I was chummy with that guy?!”

“Your reaction says it all. You sure you ain’t crushing on him?”

“Fuck you!”

Karma yawned, took a loud, obnoxious slurp of his drink, stood up, and walked to the door. 

“Maybe later~” Aaand he was gone with a single salute.

Terasaka shook with rage, and suddenly he figured out what other things his knitting needles were useful for.

* * *

**Lady Killer:**

Karma accidentally walked in on Bitch-sensei binge drinking with Naho-sensei by her side. His milk carton wrinkled a bit when his fist clenched for some unknown reason.

Both adults looked up at him in sync, and while Bitch-sensei merely shrugged and went back to ogling at a magazine, Naho-sensei choked on his beer and began coughing irrationally.

Karma raised a brow, simultaneously taking a drink of his own. “What a good example you’re setting, Senseis. What a pathetic sight this is.”

He doubted Naho-sensei heard him over his own coughing fit, but the words were said already and he wasn’t going to repeat himself.

Bitch-sensei, on the other hand, heard him loud and clear. She turned to him with a furious expression. “You little shit, even adults need their happy time!”

“Irina!” Naho-sensei gasped and went to cover her mouth with his hands.

“No! Just because we’re drinking doesn’t mean we’re doing anything wrong, damn it! We were in a private area!”

Karma widened his eyes and gave a low whistle. “A lady killer indeed, Naho-sensei.”

He almost cracked up when a bright blush covered the male teacher’s entire face.

He even began to stutter. “N-no I-It’s not—“

But Karma was out of there before any explanation could be given.

* * *

**Chaos:**

Karma was just causing some chaos at this point since he was bored out of his mind. He met with Nakamura after her and her little group (which shockingly included Nagisa, but then again, Nagisa is a liar like the rest of human society, so it’s not that surprising) tried peeping on some poor fellow.

“It was Korosensei. Almost caught him fully bare…” 

Never mind. Not a poor fellow after all. He actually sighed with her. “Too bad… could’ve gotten some more weaknesses.”

“It was unethical…” Sugino complained, while Nagisa merely patted his back.

Nakamura groaned in sync with Okajima, and both looked at each other with an odd glint in their eyes. 

“Peeping on non-ladies is against my policy but for assassination purposes…” Okajima grinned.

So did Nakamura. “Yessss. Let’s go look for him and pry his clothes off!”

Karma wrinkled his nose. “Sign me out.”

Sugino’s eye twitched. “Same.”

Nagisa nodded.

And those who decided to seek out the octopus left the three of them behind. They made their way to the shared bedroom at a slow pace.

“Ran into Bitch-sensei and Naho-sensei on my way here,” said Karma in order to fill in the silence. “They were drinking on the job. For shame.” He tsked. 

Sugino chuckled and shook his head, crossing his arms and shifting his shoulders. “Wouldn’t blame him. We deal with so much bullshit as it is. I’d be drinking too if I could.”

Karma opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by Nagisa’s little giggle.

He had his knuckle pressed against his bottom lip as his shoulders gently shook. 

He could be compared to an angel because his expression described “innocence” down to the smallest T. It was that very facial expression that convinced Karma that he was approachable, that he wouldn’t just leave without any reason.

And he didn’t. Not really.

But Nagisa is no angel, much less human. Oh, no. Nagisa is a beast, and Karma feels that he should expose Nagisa for the snake he really is.

Karma quickly pushed down those thoughts.

“Naho-sensei is sweet. I think he gets it from Yukimura-sensei.” Nagisa lowered his hand until his arms were folded before him, resting against his chest as he walked.

Sugino hummed, eyes turning into crescents as a smile formed on his face. “I dunno, man. Naho-sensei’s too weird for me to be buddies with.”

And then Karma watched as Nagisa’s full lips formed a soft, innocent smile. It made his arm hairs stand on end. That smile is in no way innocent. It made Karma’s blood boil; such a smile did not belong on a monster’s face.

“No…” Nagisa shook his head playfully. “Naho-sensei is… definitely sweet.”

Would you look at that? Monsters hanging around monsters. Monsters defending monsters. 

To cover up the bitter atmosphere, Karma laughed loudly and said, “You got a crush on Naho-sensei too?” and watched in morbid amusement as the smile slid off Nagisa’s face and a look of horror took its place.

Good. It’s as it should be.

“No! Not at all! I- I just—!”

“What do you mean by “too”?!”

“That’s not the point!”

Karma let them argue amongst themselves.

* * *

**Lady Killer Not:**

After the class decided that killing Korosensei for eavesdropping on their juicy secrets wasn’t worth their time anymore, Karma parted from the rest of them and walked through the empty hallway, illuminated only by the crescent moon’s glow pouring through the windows.

His steps were quiet like he was subconsciously trying to keep the peaceful atmosphere around him. But that was when he began to hear voices coming from the far end of the hallway.

“You reek of alcohol, Naho.”

It was Yukimura-sensei. Huh, interesting.

Karma remained where he was. He didn’t need to see the other people in order to hear them, and getting caught by them is not his goal.

“Irina coerced me into drinking with her.” Naho-sensei sighed as if it wasn’t him willingly deciding to drink.

Karma looked at the corner, where beyond that is a left turn. He can hear them just fine, but if he can hear them, they can hear him… so he controlled his breathing and stuck to the wall.

“Koro-san told me he found out about you… your identity.”

Karma’s lips parted and his eyes widened. It’s just as he thought. Another monster among the teachers. One with a fake identity.

... “That octopus, I swear.” Naho-sensei chuckled bitterly. “If you’re worried about me choosing to drink away my sorrows—“

“Isn’t that what you’re doing, though?”

“Aguri. I could care less if he told you about my identity and my original whereabouts. I could care less if he told Karasuma, hell, even Irina—“

“But you’d care if the students found out.”

“No—“

“ _Naho._ ”

Karma’s heart began to pick up the pace. He felt like he was in a spy movie, hot _damn._

“My husband is _dead._ ”

 _Oh shit._ Karma bit his tongue.

Naho-sensei breathed shakily. “He’s dead and I’m stuck here. I… I’m not saying that I hate being here… but you and I both know I don’t belong here. I want to be where my husband is…” a sharp inhale as if he admitted to something he hadn’t even thought of until that moment. “But I can’t. Because as much as I want… I am needed here. I won’t leave the place where I am needed.”

“Naho…”

“I let myself be coerced into drinking because I… wanted to forget. You’re correct in that department. Although I didn’t actually drink to the point of getting drunk.” He chuckled lightly as if the previous part of the conversation didn’t bother him in the slightest. “I’m sorry. I did something that upset you. I won’t let it happen again.”

What followed was silence. A ghostly silence. Then, footsteps, and Karma hightailed out of there faster than he’d ever gone before.

Once he was sure he couldn’t get in trouble for eavesdropping, he walked as calmly and confidently as he could toward the shared bedroom. 

The information he absorbed minutes ago would likely stay in his mind. Though, a part of him wasn’t sure if he should report his findings to the class. They didn’t need to know the personal stuff.

He slid the door open and he was met with the curious glances of his male classmates.

He paused at the doorway, looking over each of them, and said, “So I just found out Naho-sensei is into dudes, not chicks.”

And Maehara groaned loudly and said, “God damn it!”

Okajima shuffled closer to Karma, and the redhead gave him a glare in a warning. The class pervert stayed in his place.

“What else did you find out?”

Well, he has a husband. Uh, _had_ a husband. He’s dead, apparently. His name isn’t actually Yamada Naho. Yukimura-sensei and Korosensei know who he really is, and he deduced that the other two teachers were in the dark about it…

Karma bit his cheek, making sure his face remained expressionless. His eyes swept over Nagisa and—

His eyes widened.

Nagisa, noticing his stare, tilted his head.

“That’s it,” he said, finally. And the guys released disappointed sighs. He merely shrugged. “I almost got caught eavesdropping.”

...

“Alright, time for bed.” Isogai, keeping the peace as always.

Everyone said their goodnights and went to bed. Karma did the same after locking the door.

With the information he gathered tonight… what should he do?

And that crazy little idea from a moment ago… is it really crazy... or is it a possibility?

* * *

**Coffee and Treachery:**

When it was time to leave back to Tokyo, the class was bustling with a mix of excitement and dread. For obvious reasons. They weren’t on their way to the station yet; some people were still packing.

Karma bought himself two coffees for good measure and bought an iced tea with a filling snack for Isogai, who missed breakfast earlier that morning.

The guy wouldn’t stop looking at him with stars in his eyes, so Karma ignored him.

When the teachers appeared, Karma trained his eye on Naho-sensei. It made him shiver involuntarily when Naho-sensei’s crimson eyes met Karma’s. The large, round glasses did not distract him from the teacher’s piercing gaze. The smile he sent his way was gentle, kind, and genuine. For someone with a fake identity, showing any semblance of sincerity was quite the feat. 

But his piercing gaze no longer was on Karma, and instead, he stared at Aguri, saying something that she laughed at.

If Karma decided to investigate on his own, what would he find out?

“Karma-kun.”

Ugh. He recognized that voice. He turned with a grin. “Nagisa-kun, what a pleasant surprise.”

Nagisa deadpanned. “Right.”

Oookay, so he’s not as airheaded as he used to be.

That… kinda made him feel guilty. He shook the feeling away.

He sipped from coffee #1. “What’s up?”

The blue-haired boy’s face turned a little gloomy, and his eyes darted to the floor. “I, um, about Naho-sensei… you said you only found out one thing but… was that really it?”

Karma paused, which made Nagisa flustered.

“I mean...” He shifted from one foot to the other, clasping his hands together. “It’s just that, well, continuing this “investigation” makes me feel a little bad, you know? This is Naho-sensei we’re talking about. We’ve known him since, like, second year.”

And yet they never knew him at all, was what Karma wanted to say. “Your point?”

“Shouldn’t we stop trying to pry into his personal life?”

Under other circumstances, the answer would be yes. But…

Karma glanced in Naho-sensei’s direction, watching as he conversated with the other teachers. Karmasuma shook his head at something Bitch-sensei pointed out.

Still, Naho-sensei laughed quietly with Yukimura-sensei, who had Korosensei stuck to her side, and there was no indication that they had had a disagreement the night before.

Naho-sensei was… a mystery. But one thing’s for sure: he’s a monster too.

“If you found out your father wasn’t really your father, what would you do?”

The question threw Nagisa off, seeing as he flinched and took a step back. “Pardon?”

Karma returned to eying the shorter boy. “If your old man isn’t actually your biological father, what would you do? Would you accept it and move on? Would you want to find out who your actual dad is?”

Nagisa stared up at him, blue orbs wide and seemingly innocent. He seemed to ponder on the question, not at all piecing things together the same way Karma had.

“There’d be no… point… in arguing. I’d accept it… but…”

Karma nodded, taking another sip. “But you’d be curious, yes?”

Nagisa nodded.

Then, Karma gestured toward Naho-sensei with his head. “What if he isn’t who he says he is?”

Realization dawned on him. His shoulders dropped slowly.

“I’d be extra curious… but...”

Karma smirked. “Nothing wrong with wanting to know the truth.” He placed a hand on Nagisa’s head, ignoring how Nagisa seemed to stiffen. “I overheard more than his preferences. There are holes I want to fill. Care to help me out?”

Nagisa looked conflicted. “I don’t want to.”

Karma’s lip twitched, he slowly dropped his hand. “Guess I’m on my own, then.”

Karma turned away, and before he could get too far, his blazer was caught by Nagisa himself.

“I’ll help,” he said, despite his eyes clearly showing how much he disapproved.

Would Karma be comfortable letting this little monster roam around him? Of course not. But even he knew that Nagisa could be of good use, especially in the researching area.

Plus, his curiosity toward his teacher is going to end up killing him. He needs to find out more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a terrible joke out of the chapter title. Forgive me.
> 
> Forgot to put this before: https://kalom.tumblr.com/post/627814341812584448/here-is-the-thing-ive-been-wanting-to-show
> 
> It’s, um, a thing...


	17. Human Beings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Sooner than expected! Reason: I'm flying to Philly for Thanksgiving, to see some fam, eat some food, and meet the newest member of the family (a babyyyyyyyy).

**Alive:**

Korosensei was hyper-aware he was sticking too close to Aguri. More so than usual. Naho had shocked him with his intel on the future, had scared him. And him? Scared? What even was that? Korosensei once knew no fear… but this is the future.

His only comfort was that Naho was working on changing things.

There have been changes already, he’d said. Korosensei took his words to heart… because Aguri is alive, and breathing, and warm, and about to smack his head with a rolled-up magazine.

He was surprised at the lack of strength when the magazine made contact with his head, though, as if harming him was not her true intention.

“Are you okay?” She asked, and Korosensei could admit that her brown eyes were soothing. He could never imagine them lifeless… even if Naho’s words still rang loudly in his head, louder than Korosensei’s own thoughts. He thought back to the person he used to be, who he is now trying to erase from history, and visually deflated. To think he once wanted to end her life with his bare hands.

“I believe I am going through a moment of weakness, Miss Yukimura, dear.” He took a chocolate bar from his pocket and gave it to her. “It is not pretty, what currently is going on in my mind.”

Aguri held the chocolate bar close to her chest, smiling up at him. “Care to share?”

They were getting ready to leave. The students were preparing their things, and he did not doubt his colleagues were doing the same. Korosensei was already done, obviously, and so was Aguri. Both of them now sat alone together.

His grin dulled, a little. “I’d love that; however, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

“Deal.” She nodded, and for once, it felt like the past. Back when they were separated by a glass wall, and they exchanged complaints, worries, secrets, and desires…

Korosensei inhaled deeply, and whispered out the name, “Shiota Nagisa became quite the lad, hasn’t he?” He saw how Aguri’s expression became that of shock before it morphed into that of understanding. 

“That’s right, I nearly forgot that you know.”

“Yes…” He sighed. “He’s just… Naho, now.”

“Indeed. He made this identity real, and now I can’t imagine him having another.”

He could understand that. Still… “Time travel…”

Aguri laughed quietly. “An impossible feat, though, not as impossible as we once thought, huh…”

“I’m glad you’re alive.”

Aguri tensed, then, and remained silent. She nodded once more, and her head found itself against Korosensei’s arm. “I’m lucky. I almost didn’t believe him, you know? I thought he was insane… and I went along with what he said thinking that things would not turn out as he said they would. But one look at his eyes, I knew exactly who he was and, I went along with his words regardless of my previous doubts.”

He hummed, accepting what she was saying.

“How did you find out?”

“It took time and effort, but I have been piecing things together ever since I met him. Time travel was the furthest thing from my mind, though.”

He slowly wrapped a tentacle around her free hand, finding comfort in her warmth. He’s glad she allowed him to do so, and was just as comfortable as him. He could tell by the even beats of her heart.

They talked some more, comparing stories and exchanging words.

“My home is still open, you know,” she said, at some point. “I don’t sleep there, because I feel like I’m being watched… but knowing you, you likely don’t have anything to worry about. I… hope.”

He felt ecstatic at the thought of having an apartment, but… “You feel like you’re being watched? By who?”

He watched as her face paled. “By _him_.”

_Ah, of course._ “I’ll gladly take your offer.” He squeezed her hand. “You have nothing to worry about.” He has a score to settle, after all.

She nodded against him.

Yes, he is glad, thankful, that Yukimura Aguri got to live another day.

* * *

**Shopping:**

“You have a nice, round, plump _ass_ , Naho. **Use it** ,” groaned Irina, as she flashed another (tight) pair of jeans at him.

The mere sight made him uncomfortable.

Naho pouted and crossed his arms. “What do you have against my cargo pants?” He ignored her remark about his _ass._

She scoffed, of course, and rolled her eyes. “Isn’t it obvious?” For her, perhaps. She whipped her hair over her exposed shoulder. “They’re old school! You need to show off your _ass_ ets to be respected by the little brats! Maybe even our dear boss.”

He responded by flipping the bird. “I call bullshit. Don’t bring up our sociopath, likely psychopath, of a boss. I’m already in enough trouble.”

“Which is why you should wear jeans.” She grabbed another pair, looking at the butt-lift sticker. “Especially these.”

“No thanks.”

“Besides,” she continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “What more trouble can you possibly get into? You work your ass off.”

Naho’s right eye twitched. “Stop bringing up my ass.”

She pushed two jeans in his arms. “It’s true, though.” She pointed towards the changing room. “Obviously, you don’t do as much as the octopus. You’re human, after all. But still. There’s not a day that goes by that you’re not breaking a sweat.”

He deadpanned, walking into the changing room. “Thanks for the compliment.”

Her laugh reaches his ears. “You’re welcome, dear.”

The old, worn-out wallpaper of the changing room stood out as he let his precious cargo pants drop to the filthy ground. He refused to let them lie there for longer than five seconds, so as quickly as they slid off his ankles, one of the jeans Irina gave him was already past his mid-thighs. 

Surprisingly, they slid over his bum easily, without having to shimmy them and hop on the balls of his feet much to get them past his hips.

One quick glance at the mirror, after buttoning them and pulling up his zipper, and his momentary comfort shattered into a million pieces. He could definitely see the way his backside stood out.

The words that came out of Irina’s mouth minutes before rang in his head.

_Round, plump…_

This… is not his style; it’s like his legs are being smothered by the cold material… though they’re not _tight_. What witchcraft is this?

Frantic knocks forced a flinch out of him.

“Well? Are you done? I wanna see!” Irina’s childlike voice had him chuckle dryly.

“Give me a minute,” he grumbled, not bothering to unlock the door to his changing room despite Irina’s eagerness. He’s not falling for that. “We should hurry, you know.”

Irina “oooed” when he walked out. Guess she didn’t see his face, then. He was bitter.

“Yep,” she said, nodding, “we’re taking these.” Naho’s shoulders slumped. “And we’ll hurry if you stop complaining and—” she slammed the flat of her hand against Naho’s back, “—no more slouching!”

“Ow!”

As they walked back to the hotel, after purchasing the... things, Naho was aware of the multiple eyes on him. 

He scowled. So the kids were on him once again. He should teach them that breaching others’ privacy is wrong and disrespectful. One look to the right and he caught a quick glimpse of Maehara's hair. He supposed the extra training Karasuma put them through is not quite kicking in yet. In time, though, they'll be undetectable.

Which is the exact opposite of what he wants right now! Privacy, damn it!

Irina hummed happily as she inhaled the cigarette, puffing out the smoke. He watched it with a wrinkled nose, but he made no comment. She hadn’t noticed they were being watched, or maybe she just wasn’t worried.

In the future of his past, he learned that Irina had multiple cards up her sleeves. Knowing her exact move was always a challenge, whenever she took her mission seriously.

“Does the smoke bother you?” she asked, distancing her hand with the cigarette. 

But Naho shook his head and raised the hand that bore his ring. “My husband used to smoke.”

It was one of the reasons they got into arguments, though they almost always ended up on their bed, cigarettes long forgotten in favor of putting each other in line.

She eyed his ring with an odd glint in her eyes.

Naho shyly brought his hand back. Exposing himself was a challenge as well…

“Is… your husband…?”

His lips parted, and his throat contracted. “He’s gone,” he managed to say, “been… gone. I need to learn to accept that.”

Because he still believed his husband’s death was unfair. And that made him so, so sad. And angry. And so fucking miserable.

“Gone…” She sounded like she realized something. Then, her cheeks reddened. She likely realized that her words were not appreciated before.

Yet, he smiled as he looked at her. “You would have liked him.” He chuckled lightly at her confused expression. “He was a little shit.”

“Like the brats?” Her tone was disbelieving.

He nodded, though. “Exactly like them.” He _was_ one of them.

Irina bit her lip in obvious annoyance. “Of course that’s your type…”

He feigned hurt, placing his available hand over his heart. “You wound me with your words for knives.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

He laughed louder than he thought he would, his head thrown back. Tears pricked at his eyes, and he made no move to remove them. The kids who decided to spy on them were likely confused by the display.

“Hey, Naho,” called Irina.

He hummed.

“I’m sorry.”

He hooked an arm around her own and said nothing.

* * *

**Faith:**

**_Later, in the evening:_ **

Naho stared at himself in the mirror. Red eyes stared back, barely hidden behind the round glasses that aided in shielding his identity. Slowly, more and more people suspect him or are at least wary of him. If not for his appearance, then for his lack of existence in this world. It won’t be long before Karasuma uses his government trump card to search him up if he hadn’t already. He fears that day… so he’s hoping that a certain someone comes along and helps him with his little issue.

He had to warn Korosensei though, or else Ritsu may never be the same as the one Naho remembered.

He washed his hands and dried them with a towel before throwing it in the basket. Aguri had mentioned she was allowing Korosensei to use her apartment, the one she doesn’t use anymore, so she was going to be a little late.

It’s not like Naho is at home, anyway.

As he walked back to the living room, he stepped on a picture frame. His step was light, fortunately, and it did not break. He lifted it and turned to look into the nearest room: Gakushuu’s room.

The boy was putting away his things in boxes, preparing to move away with his mother.

The picture in the frame was that of the Asano Family when Gakushuu was ten or so. It squeezed his heart to see the straight faces on each person. The mother, the father, and the son. This boy suffered through so much… Naho was truly glad he was staying with his mother until he was comfortable enough to face his father outside of school.

He wondered… how Gakuhou felt.

The man was an awful person, who did, and does awful things, but he is still a father… and a husband, uh, ex-husband… so surely he’d… care. Right?

He deserved it, definitely, but the emotional shredding… it’s the worst punishment.

“I don’t want that.” Gakushuu’s sharp voice forced Naho out of his thoughts. “He can keep it.”

Is that why it was outside his bedroom? He’d thrown it out?

Naho nodded anyway. Still, he sat down on the floor, leaving the picture frame on his lap. “Do you need any help?”

Gakushuu sighed, lightly pushing the box away and facing Naho. “I appreciate it; however, I am in no need of help. Your being here is enough.” Now when did Gakushuu learn to warm people’s hearts? “I would like some non-advice, though.”

Non-advice? He straightened his back, pushing some of his hair behind his ear. 

The boy looked at him for approximately five seconds before lowering his eyes. “The Chairman… my… father…” He visibly cringed, and Naho _felt_ that. “Is he capable of being fixed?”

Naho blinked. Is Gakuhou capable of being fixed? _Can_ he be fixed? Is that the question? Naho remained silent as he pushed his glasses up with his index finger, releasing a shaky breath. “An interesting choice of words. Tell me, do you see him as a machine?”

It’s not meant to make Gakushuu feel bad. He’d never attempt to do that, and Gakushuu knows that.

“Metaphorically, yes. He eats, sleeps, breathes like a human being, but he’s constantly working on improving his principles, his legacy, never straying off the path he deems righteous. He cares for no one, only education. He runs on the fuel that is the obedience to his system.” Gakushuu swallowed. “He’s… a machine. A glitching machine.”

It’s sad that Naho knows exactly what he means.

“He’s been better, since meeting you. I’m just afraid it won’t be enough.”

And that surprised him. “You’re saying your robot Principal is better compared to before?” Is Naho’s memory faltering? Because Gakuhou seems just as terrifying as he was when Naho was a junior high kid.

He nodded, and Naho’s heart skipped a beat. “It’s why I asked if he’s capable of being fixed. He’s improved… but can he be better?”

He understands. It is baffling, yes, but he understands loud and clear. Which is why he will be honest, rather than give false hope. “A person who does not make an effort to improve will not meet one’s expectations.”

And it’s as if Gakushuu expected that answer because a frown now marred his features, and his eyes seemed calculating. “I refuse to put faith on that man, Naho-san, but I have faith in your abilities. Your honesty just now gives me all the more reason to trust you.”

He shook his head. “I can’t help him if he doesn’t want to be helped, Shuu. Don’t expect me to succeed.”

Gakushuu hummed, but he did not seem to catch his drift. Naho, realizing that Gakushuu would not offer another response, sighed and stood up. He wished the boy a happier life, before leaving the bedroom and walking into Gakuhou’s office, with the frame in hand and without knocking on the door.

“Hey,” he greeted casually, watching as Gakuhou tightened his grip on his pen from where he sat at his desk. He discreetly placed the picture frame on the floor, beside the door frame. “So, how are you holding up?”

Gakuhou continued to work on his paperwork, not acknowledging Naho’s presence. So, he tested the waters and walked up to the desk, placing a knuckle on the edge. 

“Asano-san,” he called.

Silence.

Naho clenched his jaw. 

“Gakuhou.” 

It was then that he finally dropped his pen, and lifted his terrifying violet eyes. He became trapped in Gakuhou’s piercing gaze. It was to be expected. He was willingly putting himself in the line of fire… but what else is new? 

Naho held his gaze with his own, not minding the suffocating silence that enveloped him like an unwanted hug. What was it, in his eyes? That flicker of emotion that hardly ever exposes itself… shyly peeking through, and… Naho could understand Gakushuu’s words even better now.

Something was familiar in this situation. 

“What. Do you want.”

And there it was. The raw emotion laced beneath his harsh tone. There was no mistaking it, which is why Naho forgot just who this man was. He circled the desk, without thinking, and kicked the bottom of Gakuhou’s desk chair, successfully forcing the man to face him.

A storm marred his face, but Naho reached out, grabbed Gakuhou’s tie, and pulled him into an awkward embrace. Gakuhou tensed, and Naho half-expected to be hit… but nothing came. The height difference made things extremely awkward, but right now it did not matter. 

Regardless of how shitty Gakuhou is, as a father and a human being, he was losing his wife and child. Not permanently, if things went well, but losing them all the same.

A parent is still a parent, even if they are undeserving.

“You’re a grade-a asshole, Gakuhou. A real fucking bastard and a true son of a bitch,” he muttered, heart thundering. “But the least you could do is see your son off, and learn to be a better human fucking being.”

Gakuhou remained silent and tense, and when Naho released him, he fell right back into his chair with no grace at all.

Naho spared him a glance, out of courtesy, before leaving the room. The picture frame… he picked it up on the way out.

Gakuhou would later find that very frame on the dining table, haunting no one but him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, oh, oh! What did you guys think of the link I posted in the End Notes of the last chapter? Do you get the basic idea of what I wanted Naho to look like?


	18. Stupidity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas!
> 
> Additionally, I'd like to recommend a fic I recently started reading. It was inspired by this one, which was surprising! (I don't have too much hope for my fics...) It hooked me on the first sentence and broke me by the last :')
> 
> It is _Don't Leave Me Behind_ by BlueViper129.

**Deep:**

“I’m getting fired.”

Korosensei and Aguri both looked up from their books in sync, and in sync, they said, “What?”

Last night, he had returned to an empty apartment, and, when he finished unpacking the little bit he had left to unpack (which included new jeans), he went to sleep. For the first time, he did not dream of the bad… or the good. It was a dreamless night, and he had no idea how good it would feel to wake up with no feeling at all.

Of course, he did his morning routine, and when it came to making his morning drink, he ran into Aguri laying on the couch, reading, and Korosensei sitting on the rocking chair, doing the same.

The first thing he said, was, he was getting fired because as soon as he saw them, he remembered last night’s events. Bravery came in many different shapes and forms—yet so did stupidity. Last night? That was stupidity in the flesh. Naho took in a breath of chilled air and shook his head, leaving his two companions with no idea of what occurred the night before. 

One would question Naho’s age from afar… Naho questioned it from within. Not just his age, but his sanity. Was there any left? 

He rolled the ring on his finger as he waited for the water to boil within the coffee machine. Asano Gakuhou… is a terrifying individual, and Naho admired his ability to intimidate anyone with his sharp wit. It reminded him of his husband a little bit… only that Karma was not prone to manipulating everyone he met into believing his every value.

He breathed deeply, bringing his hand to his face and pressing his lips against the ring. The smooth, cold metal tickled his lips. Gakuhou was more complicated than anyone Naho has met before… because while he had met many questionable individuals, which included professional murderers, many had morals.

Naho had yet to find any morals in Gakuhou—emotion, though? He found plenty of that last night.

Aguri seemed to have abandoned her reading in favor of keeping him company in the kitchen. “Why did you say that? What happened?” Her arms were crossed, but her face was gentle. Her eyes soft in concern, she said, “Is everything alright?”

Naho loved this woman. Her mere presence was enough to make his shoulders go slack, and the tightness in his chest to dissipate. He had no doubt he’d die for her, and kill, much like Akari was willing to do back in his world.

“I was at the Asanos last night.” The information leaked from his lips without so much as a hint of hesitation. “I tried to help Asano-kun pack some things, but he refused my help, so mostly I was just there to provide a summary of what occurred during the trip. The kidnapping and how it was handled. I wasn’t there and had to share what happened according to the students and Korosensei. Gakuhou was not happy about that… but this was before I realized I may just lose my job for not minding my own damn business.”

Aguri leaned against the counter and nodded at him to continue.

Naho sighed. “What I saw…” The raw emotion behind that man’s eyes. The utter agony that, only through his eyes, was visible. “It’s too personal to share, Aguri, but he fucking deserved every bit of it. I do not regret calling Gakuhou out on being a shitty human being.”

Blood drained from Aguri’s face, her eyes widened. “You _what?_ ”

Korosensei chose to walk in just then, Kayano beside him. Both seemed to have heard his words, because not a moment too soon, both of them had shocked expressions on their faces.

“You said what?!” shrieked both Kayano and Korosensei.

Now that he thought about it, when had Kayano arrived? Ah, Aguri likely did not want her out of her sight after what happened in Kyoto. 

Naho addressed all three of them with his eyes. “And thus, I will likely get fired.”

Kayano facepalmed. “Why are all my teachers crazy?”

Aguri shot Kayano a betrayed stare, to which Kayano retorted, “Your fashion sense is bizarre.”

Aguri reacted with a gasp, covering her shirt with a slab of meat for decoration from view.

Korosensei scratched his head. “I doubt anything bad will happen, Naho-san. You’ve been teaching in Kunugigaoka for longer than I have, and so far you’ve been fine.”

“I’ve never directly insulted my boss.”

“You said he deserved the divorce,” Aguri added, to which Kayano gaped.

Naho turned away, arms crossed. “And I stand by it.”

“You’re still alive.”

That’s… an excellent point. He sighed. “Alright, I get it. Now get out of my kitchen, all of you.”

They scattered without complaint.

Naho smiled before turning to his unprepared coffee.

* * *

**Talk:**

At the Old Campus, Karma approached him with an odd question. “Are you bi?”

Naho had to blink a few times, trying to understand. “Excuse me?”

But Karma made a face and looked away. “Never mind…” He looked back. “How old are you?”

Naho blinked thrice as much as before. “Twenty-six,” he replied automatically, but then paused. “W-why would you like to know…?”

And Karma merely glared at him. He _glared_ at him. He muttered, “Forget it,” before turning around and leaving. As he walked out the door, Naho noticed that Nagisa was just standing there awkwardly, looking at Karma too as he left.

When Nagisa and Naho made eye contact, Nagisa flushed from head to toe before bowing, apologizing under his breath, and leaving in Karma’s direction.

Naho scratched his head in thought. _How odd…_ He shook his head and turned to the newest addition to the class. “Anyway, Ritsu—”

“My masters named me _Autonomously Intelligent Fixed Artillery_ , Naho-sensei.”

Naho nodded. “My apologies, but Ritsu is less of a mouthful, don’t you think?”

The AI seemed to consider this. “Please call me Ritsu.”

He smiled. “Of course. As I was saying, we need to discuss your timing on assassination.”

Meanwhile, with Nagisa and Karma… Karma was already thinking of how his teacher had reacted to his straightforwardness. He seemed confused, and he clearly did not understand his words. For a guy who had a husband, he seemed like he’d been single his entire life. There’s no way… but then how else could he describe _their_ similarities?

When Nagisa caught up to him, Karma made sure there was some distance between them. “Well, that was pointless.”

Nagisa panted, seemingly having run up to him, before saying, “That was a little blunt.”

It was necessary. Though, the one Karma needed to interrogate was right there in front of him. “Hey, how old is your mom?”

Nagisa did a double-take. “My mom? I… think she’s thirty-five… why?”

Karma internally cringed. He’d seen Nagisa’s mom before, and she definitely looks her age… but Naho-sensei is younger. A lot younger. There’s no way… unless Nagisa’s mom was a creep. “Any chance you have some long lost siblings? Or unknown cousins?”

Nagisa bit the inside of his cheek. “I would’ve known if I had a brother or a sister… and… I don’t know about cousins… mom is an only child, and I don’t know much about dad…”

Karma shook his head. A pity. “Your mom’s a creep, then.”

Nagisa narrowed his eyes. “Don’t say that.”

A shiver ran up Karma’s spine, but he played it off. “Anyway, I’m in a bit of a stump. We should see what the others found out, and see if there’s anything useful. You’re definitely related to that man. I just don’t know _how_ you are related.”

“Maybe he’s, like, an older doppleganger.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“I’m just saying that me being possibly related to our teacher is bizarre, and not believable.”

Karma sighed. “You’re both short.”

His classmate bristled and turned away, arms crossed. “A-anyone can be short.”

“You both have blue hair.”

“A lot of people have blue hair, and his is darker.”

“So is your mother’s.”

Nagisa groaned but said, “You have a point.”

Karma continued, “Your face looks like a younger version of his.”

Nagisa opened his mouth, but hesitated. “No, it doesn’t—”

“You don’t remember what he looks like without those glasses.” Karma looked at Nagisa, who zipped his lips. “If we have a picture of him without glasses, and we compared it to you, it’d be clear how similar you both are. Not close enough to be considered dopplegangers, but close enough to have the same blood.”

Not to mention that both Nagisa and Naho-sensei radiate the same… aura, so to speak. It’s like they breathe the same air, and only they can decipher each other, without a doubt. Karma had plenty of time to think about how Naho-sensei rubbed him off the wrong way. There was something there. Underneath. It reminded him a whole lot of Nagisa, and it unnerved him to the core. 

He needed to find a logical explanation for what they were. Who are they to each other?

He was going to find out, no matter what. Sure, he wasn’t one to get into people’s business, especially people like Nagisa, but for some reason, this intrigued him. In both the right and wrong way.

He heard Nagisa sigh deeply, which broke him from his thoughts. The little beast had a frown on his face, and his hand, which touched his own chin, trembled. “I can ask mom, to see if she knows anyone that fits Naho-sensei’s description.”

And Karma did not like how Nagisa’s voice sounded lighter, as if he breathed every word and syllable. He did not like how Nagisa’s voice trembled softly, as if he were afraid but trying to cover it up.

He did not like it, but he ignored it, because he doesn’t like Nagisa. Ever since that day… Nagisa became that one person he decided not to get close to. He doesn’t like him, so not liking his voice, or the way his face seemed a little pale, was nothing new.

Despite something in the back of his head saying that something was wrong, he ignored it.

Because he doesn’t like Nagisa.

“Yeah, let me know if she says anything interesting.”

Nagisa barely smiled. “Okay.”


	19. Notice

**Sweet:**

Hara had taken to offering Naho various sweets, and Naho learned quite a few things during their lunch breaks. “The class is stalking you because they think you’re a player.”

Mind you, this was after the whole discussion with Ritsu. Now, the AI was in sleep mode, but later on, she’d get the new modifications that would hopefully get her as close to his Ritsu as possible.

Right now, he was chatting with Hara.

He had known about the stalking. He could feel each of their little curious eyes every time he walked anywhere. He did not recall his past friends being this determined to uncover his hidden secrets, but he supposed they were far more open as children. It made everything being told to them, as children, by serial murderers all the more factual.

They were not invincible, and they were not subtle. He had seen improvement, though, ever since Karasuma decided to train them a little harsher. He admitted that he felt bad, but they had returned from a school trip, and if Naho remembers correctly, a shit ton of things transpire in the near future.

Still, the kids thinking he’s a player? That was interesting. He tried not to talk with his mouth full, but he needed to address this. “Do tell your classmates that stalking teachers is illegal in this classroom. We like our privacy. Also that I’m not a player.” That role was reserved for Maehara.

Hara bit off a Dango from her skewer. “I tried, and Nagisa-kun did too, and Kayano-chan, but they’re too interested in you. How could they not think you’re a player, after smooching Bitch-sensei and cuddling with Yukimura-sensei afterward?”

Naho nearly choked on his Dango. “Excuse me! I didn’t want to be kissed by her! And- and Aguri is, like, my best friend!” Also, when had he cuddled with Aguri?

Isogai chose this moment to walk in, a shy smile on his face. Right on time, too. Naho bent down to grab a spare bento box from underneath his desk. 

He gave it to Isogai. “There are a few sweets in there from Hara-chan.”

Isogai blushed and thanked them. He sat down near Naho and Hara, and began to eat.

Hara continued, “This is why you got tied to the tree.”

Naho fumed. “That was not fun. My arm almost got injured more.”

She flushed. “Yeah, sorry about that… the point is, you’re far too interesting to just not follow around, you know?”

Isogai nearly choked. “You told him?”

Naho shot Isogai with a betrayed look. “You’re in on this, too?”

He blushed again.

Naho sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed that getting his kids to back off would be no easy task. They wanted answers from him because he was so intriguing and mysterious. Naho has never dealt with overly curious students. In his previous world, he encouraged his students to kill him, but they never tried to do so outside of school… except on field trips, of course. They were all quite nice outside of school…

He had to remember, though, that these aren’t your typical junior high students. These are Naho’s past but in an entirely different present. These are his friends that he’s forced to call his students.

It had gotten easier to call them as such.

His students. His kids. Could they be his friends? Perhaps, yes, but not the same as before. It wouldn’t be right. It would feel like an utter betrayal. Things were slowly getting easier to handle.

Like the ring.

It was no longer heavy.

Hara bit off the last Dango and spoke, “Sorry, but, things have been getting more clear after you started putting on your wedding ring, sensei. I didn’t even know you were married, but then again, we weren’t stalking you on the Main Campus.”

Naho stared at her and swallowed. “Um, y-yes, well…” He laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head. “Me wearing my ring doesn’t make me a player.”

Hara looked genuinely confused, and Isogai just kept looking between them as if this were a drama. “But, then why do you hang out with both Bitch-sensei and Yukimura-sensei if you are married?”

Naho opened his mouth but closed it immediately after. 

Hara shrugged, though. “No judgment here, but, like, isn’t your wife worth—”

“I’m sorry,” interrupted Naho, “I need to clear things up. I’m not pursuing Irina or Aguri. They are my friends and colleagues.”

Before Hara could answer, he said. “And I’m widowed.”

Both children paled. He hadn’t meant to scare them, or anything, but this was getting out of hand. Talking about his marriage was difficult, but as he mentioned, this was getting out of hand and he desperately needed to clear things up.

“O-oh,” Hara said in a small voice. “I’m sorry…”

Isogai nodded too. “I’m… sorry for your loss.”

Naho grabbed another skewer. “Please share this with your friends and classmates. Well, not that I’m _widowed_ …” They all simultaneously cringed. “I need them to stop following me around. I… don’t like it. I’m not a player, and I’m not any more interesting than Korosensei is, or Irina, or Karasuma, or Aguri. We are normal people… or as normal as we can be with the whole assassination thing.”

They nodded.

“And, I’m sorry for throwing this on you. It should never have come out like this.” He lifted his hand and stared at the ring. “I recently started wearing it to… cope, I suppose.”

Isogai cleared his throat. “Was she a kind person?”

The question startled him, but soon, he broke into a smile. “He,” he corrected and watched as they both blushed. “He was an amazing person. Was he kind, though? It depended on the person. He chose his friends carefully, and only to those could he be considered kind.”

His Karma was one of a kind. 

Hara leaned forward. “What did he look like?”

He chuckled and found himself relaxing. “Well, he was really tall—”

“But everyone’s taller than you, sensei.”

Naho gasped at the audacity, clenching a hand just above his heart. “Watch it! That hurts my feelings—and I’m taller than some of the kids here.”

“Yeah, but we’re all kids.”

Isogai nodded, and Naho pouted. Still, he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips after. “A-anyway… he was tall, and his skin was a little paler than mine, and he was fit. Not too muscular, though, but just right. His eyes were… bright, with life, all the time. His smile was sharp… but soft when we were alone.” Naho inhaled sharply, picturing his husband’s face, his hair, his skin… his everything. “He had scars. They were scattered, but he had them. They varied in size. He was a fighter in his youth.”

They listened to him, eyes sparkling more with every word. “What was he like? Other than being a fighter,” asked Isogai, munching on a piece of sushi.

He chuckled. “He was… like the sun. He could brighten someone’s day and warm people’s hearts, but if you angered him, he’d burn all of his enemies down. He liked danger, but only if he knew he’d win in the end. He usually let me deal with things he couldn’t handle.” This didn’t happen a lot, but he enjoyed it when it did. “He enjoyed pulling pranks too. This one time—”

Naho hadn’t realized how good it’d feel to talk about his husband. The small smiles on the kids encouraged him to talk and talk and talk about the happy memories, the funny moments, the petty arguments…

When lunch was over, he was feeling warm all over, and his heart felt so full, it might just burst. Even as he taught social studies, the smile did not disappear, and he knew that it wouldn’t disappear for a good few hours. There was a small sting there, but he tried to deal with it. Just because he can’t experience the happy, the fun, and the petty anymore, it did not mean he couldn’t cherish the memories.

He hummed as he graded papers, and wrote feedback on a sticky note for each student. He was done teaching for the day, and the only one left to teach was a super-octopus, so he’d be fine.

Once the final bell rang, he got up to hand the papers back to their owners before he lost them.

When it came to returning Nagisa’s, though, he paused. See, Naho knew how his own mind worked. He had to deal with himself since childhood. He had to deal with emotional scars that took years to heal, and he still has some lingering here and there.

His counterpart’s expression gave him a bad vibe, so he stopped him before he could leave.

As everyone else exited the building, Naho addressed Nagisa directly. “Nagisa-kun, are you feeling alright?”

The question spooked the boy, as he likely did not expect such a thing to be asked of him. Nagisa blinked up at him with wide eyes, confusion and wariness etched in them. His mouth opened up, but no sound escaped.

The way his hands trembled and his eyes wavered gave Naho the impression that something was on his mind, and it was bothering him greatly.

“Yes, sensei,” said Nagisa, gripping onto his school bag tightly.

Did Naho believe his words? No. Of course not. He could recognize when he was lying. They were the same person, and Naho had more experience in that field than when he was younger.

He also knew that Nagisa would not talk. And that scared him. As an adult, as a teacher, he feared that his kids would keep their problems to themselves. He wouldn’t know how to help them, or even get them out of their situations… or worse, he wouldn’t know if they needed help, to begin with. And it scared Naho that Nagisa may be going through something and was keeping it to himself.

Naho knew exactly who Nagisa was dealing with behind the walls of his home.

He knew that Nagisa would not talk about that, either. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the sticky note pad. He wrote down his phone number and his home address and then peeled the note.

“If you need anything, you have my number and my address.” He handed the boy the sticky note.

Nagisa took it hesitantly. 

He watched as Nagisa left the building, and Naho hoped he wouldn’t need to use the information on the note.

* * *

**Priority:**

It was a nice, calm evening at the “Yamada” household, if you could call it that, now full with not two, but four people. Would the landlady make a fuss? Absolutely. Is he going to kick them out? No.

Korosensei was currently teaching Kayano how to gamble, and Naho was beside Aguri, both glaring at the scene before them.

“He’s corrupting her.” Aguri sipped from her tea, angrily. “Just look at them.”

Naho bit the inside of his cheek as he crossed his arms. “I was never taught how to gamble…”

“Not the point, Naho.”

“Priorities, Aguri. Priorities.”

Naho didn’t see anything wrong with knowing how to gamble. It was actually a valuable skill to have, if you thought about it. See, sometimes young assassins need to learn skills they’d never thought they’d need, so they could be prepared for any unexpected situation. Plus, he was taking this opportunity to observe them, and learn on his own accord in his private time.

Aguri’s still not happy, but hey, anything is legal as long as you don’t get caught.

So long as petty theft was not involved. Some people needed their valuables.

And, of course, other things that were morally significant.

The evening was comfortably quiet, except for the small instances where Kayano bragged about beating Korosensei three times in a row. 

“Two pairs of Ace! Take that!” 

Korosensei wept. “What monster have I created…?” 

Now, Aguri was not sure if she should praise her little sister for winning, or be worried that her little sister was slowly becoming a gambling pro.

And they don’t know just how experienced Kanzaki is at gaming. Because gaming doesn’t stop at just _games._ Regardless, he kept his lips pursed together whilst he read on the couch. They can figure this out later on, when the girl became comfortable with showing off her skills.

He drank some wine, since it was offered after Kayano left to Aguri’s bedroom in order to catch some sleep, once she decided that beating Korosensei at his own game got a tad bit boring. The enticing taste sweetened his tongue and warmed his skin. The wine was getting to him, and he was always a lightweight when it came to adult drinks. This was his greatest weakness, once that he was ashamed to admit to most. It was why he kept the drinking to a minimum, or when it was just him and his husband… back then.

Korosensei had to fly out, too, to his new apartment. The thought of his once-teacher having a home to return to brought a smile to his lips, moist from the wine. Naho was happy he had a comfortable home, now. The Korosensei of Naho’s past did not have that.

Aguri sat on the other side of the couch, sipping from her own drink. It wasn’t wine or anything alcoholic, but she still kept him company. The night was quiet. Comfortably so. And the gentle buzz he gained from drinking the wine really helped him relax. The words on the page blurred together a little, and that was when he removed his glasses and his contacts. He finished the last bit of wine and stumbled into the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Only that Aguri followed after him and insisted she’d do it.

“No…” Naho slurred, shaking his head. “Go to sleep.”

Aguri smiled at him, one eyebrow arched. “Come on, Naho, you’re drunk.”

He knew he was drunk. But not that drunk. Tipsy was the word. He was just tipsy.

And then knocking came from outside his front door, and both he and Aguri frowned. He could understand her wariness, though, since it was extremely late for anyone to be knocking on his door.

Naho was wary because he was drunk and had no way of properly protecting his family should a threat be outside his door.

When he rushed to the door, and opened it, ready to paralyze any possible threat, he was surprised to see a blurry blob of sky blue hair.

And tear-stained cheeks.

His blood froze as his counterpart rushed forward and wrapped his shaking limbs around Naho’s torso. He stumbled a bit, but Aguri came to his rescue and kept him on his feet. Her shushed words barely reached his ears, since they were more for Nagisa’s comfort. 

Naho rubbed the kid’s back, gentle circles to draw out his muffled sobs. 

Aguri led them to the couch after closing the door and locking it, and Aguri and Naho waited until Nagisa ran out of tears to shed. It took a while. A while of listening to Nagisa’s pained sobs and desperate gasps for air. Naho allowed the kid to lean on him, and he continued to soothe him by rubbing calming circles on his counterpart’s back.

“Aguri? Naho-san?”

Nagisa tensed, and Aguri quickly shot up to go to her sister. It seemed Kayano had woken up. 

Naho tried his best to divert Nagisa’s attention from his classmate and friend, because he knew how much it meant to his counterpart to maintain his facade. It was one of the things Naho had learned to get rid of as the years rushed by, and he learned to drop his defenses he’d worked so hard to build.

He soothed the boy’s back, while whispering comforting words.

“It’s okay, go back to bed,” ushered the woman to the girl, “I’ll accompany you.”

Kayano frowned but allowed herself to be ushered away.

Now it was only Naho and Nagisa in the living room. Even as his vision swirled a bit, he did his best to claim Nagisa’s attention. Nagisa was still tense, and sniffling as he shook. He choked on his breaths, and Naho recognized this as the beginning of a panic attack. 

Naho had plenty of those when he thought his walls were broken down by anyone he didn’t know he could trust, and he was seen at his most vulnerable without his consent.

“Don’t worry about her, Nagisa. Just focus on breathing, okay? You can do it—breathe with me.” He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and released. 

Nagisa hesitated before copying him. It wasn’t the best attempt, but an attempt all the same.

This went on for a long time.

And before Naho could force his head to clear up and question the boy, Nagisa had already dropped dead asleep.

His breathing was normal, and he showed no signs of going unconscious.

Just sleeping. He was just sleeping. He was exhausted.

No external injuries. He was physically okay.

He remained still for a while longer, allowing the boy to sleep on him, curled up against him as if he was his only means of safety. He held Nagisa, even as no thought formulated in his mind. He couldn’t think. Not with the alcohol in his system. He remained there, on the couch, until Aguri came back with a pillow and a few blankets.

Together, they slowly removed Nagisa’s form from Naho and organized him on the couch. 

“I can deal with this, Naho. You go to bed. No arguing this time.”

Naho knew not to argue. Not in front of Nagisa. Not when the alcohol in his system rendered him useless.

He nodded and left to his room.

He’d figure this out in the morning.

* * *

**Azure:**

Nagisa awoke to the warm scent of pancakes. Normally he’d be pleased, overly so, at waking up to such a nostalgic scent. He recalled how dad would make pancakes every Friday, as a warm congratulations on making it through the week.

It was nostalgic.

But he hadn’t smelled that for years, now.

Mother did not make pancakes. Ever.

Now, it felt wrong to eat them, because dad was mostly out of his life, and mother made it seem forbidden to be anywhere near them. 

His body stiffened, though, when he failed to recognize his location. This was not his bedroom, nor his living room for that matter. He swallowed slightly, hyper-aware of anything and everything that may come at him, possibly harm him. The furniture did not look traditional, as if it was a diversity of styles randomly put together in one space.

The table in the middle of the living room was not a usual piece of furniture seen in traditional homes, much less the rocking chair on the far side of the room. That potted plant in the corner was too tall for comfort, and the couch… Nagisa actually had no criticism for the couch. It was perfectly decent.

His surroundings did not raise any red flags.

The diversity was too ridiculous to make him feel any danger.

And then Kayano walked in, holding an impressively large cup of coffee. Nagisa flushed from head to toe, suddenly conscious of his lack of hair ties, and the strands of hair that defied gravity. He hadn’t noticed before, and as her eyes, which gave off the vibe of death, locked on his own, his heart did not cease its rapid contractions.

Kayano simply took a large, obnoxiously loud sip, not once breaking eye contact.

Once her lips abandoned the rim of the cup, she sighed. “You’re safe here. This is Naho-sensei’s apartment, in case you’re confused. Aguri also lives here, and I stay over every once in a while.” Kayano nodded at some entryway. “Kitchen’s in there. Eat breakfast. Oh, and Korosensei bought you a new uniform—he’s having breakfast with us.”

Nagisa was not ready to receive all of that information in one go, so he simply stared at his friend as she took yet another long sip, and then she walked back into the hallway in which she came from.

His skin pricked a bit, when the chilly air of the AC hit him. The blanket he awoke with was then wrapped around him, and he finally decided to stand up and do as he was told.

The smell of pancakes still lingered in the air…

He met with Yukimura-sensei the second he walked into the kitchen, and he watched as she flipped a pancake in the air before it landed in the pan with a satisfying sizzle.

Then, her eyes met his own, and he realized that Kayano and Yukimura-sensei had the same exact eyes.

She smiled as she waved the spatula in her right hand. “Good morning, Nagisa-kun. There are some pancakes ready to eat just next to the coffee machine.”

Nagisa blinked, muttering a soft, “Good morning,” before looking toward the counter, where a plate of steaming pancakes were on display just beside the machine.

He swallowed as his mouth began to salivate. _It’s been… so long._ He turned to Yukimura-sensei once more, watching as she shimmied the handle, and stronger sizzles erupted from the searing pan.

Suddenly, her voice registered in his ears. “They’ll get cold soon.” She turned to him and smiled. “The eating utensils are just in that drawer, so please take the plate and eat. We have a long day today.”

 _A long day today?_ Kayano’s words resonated in his mind, and a new sense of urgency motivated him to do as told and grab the pancakes, along with the eating utensil, and go to the table in the living room to eat.

Today is a school day.

“ _Korosensei bought you a new uniform._ ” Kayano had said.

The thought brought him shame.

He just kept on burdening those around him.

Mother was right…

Nagisa thought about the night before as he sliced a piece of pancake and plopped it into his mouth. He regretted it instantly, since the steam burned the inside of his mouth mercilessly. He blew the hot steam out of his mouth, whilst flapping in cold air to relieve himself from the pain.

A chuckle from the hallway almost made him choke on the pancake, but thankfully he only had a coughing fit after swallowing the pancake without chewing all the way. A hand gave his back a sequence of firm pats, which only stopped after he ceased his fit. 

“Careful there,” said the newcomer—and it took Nagisa a second to realize it was Naho-sensei. Then, a cup or orange juice was placed before him. “Drink this.”

He did, if only to relieve his mouth.

The aftertaste was bitter, but Nagisa knew he needed his Vitamin C. 

“T-thank you…” he mumbled against the lip of his cup, looking up at his teacher as he distanced himself.

He looked different.

He wore the same dress shirt, cargo pants, and glasses… but something was different.

Naho-sensei sat on the other side of the small table, a plate of pancakes in front of him. He smiled, as if he hadn’t caught Nagisa choking on air…

It would have been funny… if last night’s memories rushed back at full force.

His shoulders slumped, and shame colored his cheeks with a slow, searing heat.

Naho-sensei caught onto that, since his smile turned gentler. “I do not wish to intrude in your life, Nagisa-kun. I value your privacy, just as much as I value everyone else’s…” Then, his gentle smile curled down. Nagisa clenched his jaw. “However… not many of my students show up at my door, just short after midnight, ready to have a panic attack.”

Nagisa flinched. He looked the other way.

He heard his teacher sigh. “I must address this. I cannot ignore this. But…” Nagisa’s eyes widened slightly. “If you talk to me, and if you are honest with me, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help you.”

Nagisa… did not answer, even as he thought of those words over and over. He ate in silence, and when Naho-sensei caught onto that too, he too began to eat in silence.

It did not take too long for Yukimura-sensei to join them in the living room, although she sat on the rocking chair as she ate. Kayano emerged from the hallway and sat on the sofa, a deck of cards in hand.

Nagisa found it odd, but he did not question it. 

And then Korosensei showed up, a bag of groceries in hand. “Good morning, everyone,” he chirped, “I have bought tonight’s ingredients. I simply cannot wait—” He spotted Nagisa. “—Ah, Nagisa-kun, your uniform is in the washroom. Please be ready after your meal. There is already a brand new toothbrush for you as well.”

Kayano suddenly called out. “Sensei, I want to play a round of poker before leaving… care to bring out the chips?”

Nagisa watched in fascination as Korosensei’s usual yellow complexion shifted to a dark blue hue. He swore he heard him mutter the word, “Beast,” over and over.

He acknowledged his target with a nod, and thanked him, because what else could he say? There were plenty of people in the living room already, and he did not want to seem awkward.

He could hardly remember arriving here last night.

He was being emotional, as always… and the GPS had led him straight to Naho-sensei’s apartment. He had nowhere else to go, and… and he did not wish to have people on the street watch him crumble.

He was lucky enough to have that sticky note on him…

The taste of pancakes was better than he remembered, all those years ago. He did not want to diss his dad, he really didn’t, but these tasted absolutely heavenly. They were thick, but light and fluffy and airy… they melted in his mouth, and they were sweet enough without syrup.

Once the general discomfort left his system, warm happiness took its place. He… did not think he’d be having breakfast this morning, considering what happened in the last twenty-four hours.

He forced his mind to travel elsewhere.

Like the horrendous potted plant in the corner, which Yukimura-sensei seemed so fond of, judging by the way she stared at it… or the staring contest Korosensei currently had with Kayano, as she dropped five blue poker chips (why were they playing poker? Lowkey interesting though…) between them…

Or the fact that Naho-sensei had blue eyes.

Nagisa paused to recalculate.

Naho-sensei… blue eyes?

_That’s the thing that’s different!_

Nagisa looked around him. Nobody seemed to notice… and if they did, then they weren’t paying it much attention. Was this normal? Did Naho-sensei wear contacts? Was he so blind that he needed to wear contacts _and_ glasses all at once?

Naho-sensei noticed his stare. “Is there something wrong?”

His voice caught everyone’s attention, and suddenly Nagisa felt very much uncomfortable. He shifted in his spot, avoiding just about every pair of eyes in the room. His voice was unusually small… but with the sudden silence that surrounded him, he did not doubt they’d hear his voice.

“Your… um… y-your eyes… are blue?”

He was met with further silence. Sickeningly so. It was thick, so thick it could practically be cut into with a saw. He was tense, because he noticed that all of the adults were also tense, and Kayano looked as if she only now realized Naho-sensei’s eyes were blue.

Naho-sensei held his stare, but his _blue_ eyes were wide in disbelief and bewilderment.

“Oh _shit_ ,” he whispered, after a long, treacherous minute of deathly silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter!


End file.
